The major tennis event in Spain is already here, and one of the fundamental aspects that can shape the course of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026 is the seedings order. We review which players, in the men's and women's draws, will enjoy that status and which potential matchups round by round the draw ceremony could bring.
The world of tennis will focus on the Magic Box, that peculiar venue where unimaginable things happen every year and the spectacle overflows. Despite the notable absences of Alcaraz and Djokovic, there will be numerous incentives during the two weeks of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026 to clarify who takes the title. This could largely depend on what emerges from the draw ceremonies, both in the men's and women's fields, which take as a reference the seedings order presented below to clarify potential matchups between the world's top players.
It is worth noting that both individual draws in the Mutua Madrid Open 2026 will consist of 96 players, placed in a 128-space draw. This means that the 32 seeds are exempt from playing in the first round, so they would need to win 6 matches to become champions, while a player not seeded would need to win 7 matches. Additionally, their order determines who their potential opponents would be starting from the third round.

How the draw for the final rounds of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026 is organized
A very special circumstance occurs in the Madrid tournament, as the women's draw starts on Tuesday, April 21, so the draw will take place this Sunday at 18:00h, using the official WTA rankings as of April 13 as a reference. It will be different for the men's draw, which begins on Wednesday, April 22, with the draw taking place this Monday starting at 11:00h, using the official ATP rankings that define the seedings order, based on the update that will be published on the same day a few hours before, reflecting the events of this week in Barcelona and Munich.
Potential matchups between seedings round by round
Third round
- Seeds 1-8 face those from 25-32
- Seeds 9-16 face those from 17-24
Round of 16
- Seeds 1-4 face those from 13-16
- Seeds 5-8 face those from 9-12
Quarterfinals
- Seeds 1-4 face those from 5-8
Seedings order in the men's draw of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026
- Jannik Sinner
- Alexander Zverev
- Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Ben Shelton
- Álex de Miñaur
- Lorenzo Musetti
- Daniil Medvedev
- Alexander Bublik
- Andrey Rublev*
- Flavio Cobolli*
- Jiri Lehecka
- Casper Ruud
- Karen Khachanov
- Valentin Vacherot
- Tommy Paul
- Frances Tiafoe
- Francisco Cerúndolo
- Learner Tien
- Luciano Darderi
- Cameron Norrie
- Alejandro Davidovich
- Arthur Rinderknech
- Jakub Mensik
- Jack Draper
- Tomás Martín Etcheverry
- Arthur Fils*
- Corentin Moutet
- Joao Fonseca
- Brandon Nakashima
- Tallon Griekspoor
- Ugo Humbert
- Denis Shapovalov
*Their position may change based on the results this Sunday in Munich and Barcelona.
Pending last-minute absences to be known, it can be inferred from this list that Sinner and Zverev could only meet in the final, and their potential opponents in the semifinals would be Auger-Aliassime, a former finalist at the Magic Box, and Shelton, who will arrive with confidence due to his good performance in Munich. The opponent to avoid in the quarterfinals for them would be Lorenzo Musetti, who, although still lacking rhythm, is the player who can perform best on this surface, while Medvedev and Bublik pose a significant unknown.
Looking ahead to a potential round of 16 clash for Sinner, Zverev, Auger-Aliassime, and Shelton, the player who could cause the most concern would be Valentin Vacherot, capable of stepping up in significant events and arriving with confidence after his performance in Monte Carlo. It will be particularly interesting to see in which section of the draw Joao Fonseca falls, who could be the potential opponent in the third round for any of the top eight seeds, with both him and Draper, as well as Fils himself (if he loses the final in Barcelona), being the men with the most chances, in theory, to surprise one of the title favorites.
Seedings order in the women's draw of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Elena Rybakina
- Cori Gauff
- Iga Swiatek
- Jessica Pegula
- Amanda Anisimova
- Elina Svitolina
- Jasmine Paolini
- Mirra Andreeva
- Victoria Mboko
- Belinda Bencic
- Karolina Muchova
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Linda Noskova
- Naomi Osaka
- Iva Jovic
- Madison Keys
- Clara Tauson
- Diana Shnaider
- Elise Mertens
- Liudmila Samsonova
- Jelena Ostapenko
- Anna Kalinskaya
- Marie Bouzkova
- Leylah Fernández
- Sorana Cirstea
- Marta Kostyuk
- Cristina Bucsa
- Yafan Wang
- Jaqueline Cristian
- Hailey Baptiste
- Ann Li
Swiatek's drop in the rankings could pit her against Sabalenka or Rybakina in the semifinals, as could be the case for Gauff. The competition will be fierce in a tournament where the quarterfinals could see unpredictable matches and guaranteed spectacle, with Pegula, Anisimova, Svitolina, and Paolini emerging as significant opposition to the established power, as well as Mboko, Andreeva, Bencic, or Muchova, who would face them in the round of 16.
In that round, the favorites would meet Osaka, Jovic, Noskova, or Alexandrova, with the Japanese and the young American being the ones to avoid, while in the third round, there are top-level players who could cause some concern to any of the top eight, such as Leylah Fernández, Kostyuk, or the Spanish Bucsa, who will try to deliver a standout performance at her home venue.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Este es el orden de cabezas de serie para el Mutua Madrid Open 2026

