Potapova, a Lucky Loser in the semifinals: "Many receive this opportunity, but few take advantage of it"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 29 Apr 2026 | 19.21

Potapova, a Lucky Loser in semifinals: "Many receive this opportunity, but few take advantage of it". Photo: Getty Images

Streaming ATP Madrid MD live tennis

🎾 Arevalo/Pavic vs Heliovaara/Patten

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

Anastasia Potapova knows how to seize opportunities. The Austrian tennis player fell in the last round of the qualifying stage of the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open against her compatriot Sinja Kraus. However, tennis has that beautiful wildcard called Lucky Loser, and 30 minutes before the start of the main draw, Potapova received the call: she would play in the main draw.

Nevertheless, Potapova didn't see being a Lucky Loser as a gift but as an opportunity. She took it match by match, progressing through rounds and defeating players of the caliber of Jelena Ostapenko or Elena Rybakina, the world number two. In her quarterfinal match, the 56th-ranked WTA player had to put in a great effort to overcome Karolina Pliskova and reach her first semifinals at the Mutua Madrid Open.

After her hard-fought victory, she attended a press conference to talk about how she is experiencing this second chance and the significance of having her boyfriend, the tennis player Tallon Griekspoor, present at her match today.

Anastasia Potapova reveals how it feels to reach the semifinals of the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open as a Lucky Loser

"It feels great, I won't lie. I was given a second chance and I made the most of it. This is something that can happen in tennis, which is why I believe it is one of the most beautiful sports we have. If they gave it to me, maybe it's because I deserved it. I am very happy. It's rare to have a second chance and go this far. But if you have it, maybe you deserve it. Many receive this opportunity, but few seize it. I am happy that I did."

She had to work hard to defeat Pliskova

"It was evident throughout the entire match. I started very strong, went out with nothing to lose. I didn't know what to expect from her because she is a very dangerous player: she serves well, hits hard, can find all the lines. I went out to enjoy my game without looking too much at the other side. I think I did very well in the first set, probably one of the best I've played."

"The second set was more challenging because she started serving better and stopped making easy mistakes. I was also doing well until a certain point, but then I couldn't handle the nerves. I had never been in this situation: a set up, in quarterfinals, serving to win. It's not easy. You have to experience it several times to learn. This tournament seems to be giving me second chances, and in the third set, I had another. This time, I knew I wouldn't let it slip away."

Revealing how she found out about her entry into the draw as a Lucky Loser

"I was coming off a tough week. I wasn't fully ready, I didn't have enough time to recover after Linz. Additionally, during the qualifiers, there were factors like the weather that didn't help. I let it go. I enjoyed two days in Madrid; I love Spain. Good food, my family with me... I didn't expect to return to the draw because initially I wasn't chosen as a lucky loser."

"But just before the match, about 30 minutes prior, I was informed that I was in. I wasn't prepared as such; I was just recovering and enjoying. Perhaps that's the key: not always being so obsessed with the tournament but enjoying the process."

Enjoys playing on clay courts

"I adapt well. I've shown that I can perform on hard courts, grass, and clay. That makes me dangerous because I know how to adjust my game and use different tactics. I also know how to defend when necessary, which helps a lot on clay. Although I try to be aggressive, I also know when to construct points."

Fearless, Potapova aims to win the title

"I want to go all the way, but I don't want to think about the next steps now. I prefer to enjoy today's victory. Linz gave me a lot of confidence, but here the conditions are different. Still, every win makes you believe more. Beating Rybakina, who is one of the best and has lost very few matches this year, is incredible. It makes me think: why not me?"

The support of her boyfriend, Tallon Griekspoor, was key to the victory

"He has a great future as a coach. He arrived at the right moment to help me. He believes in me a lot and says things that others wouldn't dare. Today he told me to quiet down and to start working with my legs. It gave me a lot of energy. I won the match physically, but he won it mentally," stated Anastasia Potapova, who after receiving a second chance, aims to win the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Potapova, una Lucky Loser en semifinales: "Muchos reciben esta oportunidad, pero pocos la aprovechan"