梅里达：“我相信我有能力与任何人竞争”

Dani Mérida continues to write one of the most captivating stories of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026. The Spaniard defeated Corentin Moutet in the second round in a high-voltage match, marked by both the level on the court and the atmosphere on Court 3 of the Caja Mágica, which was completely engaged.

Coming from the qualifying rounds, Mérida has now strung together four consecutive victories in the tournament, confirming the great form he is in. In a match with moments of tension, especially with the enthusiastic crowd, the Spaniard managed to keep calm and push through a demanding match. In the third round, he will face the winner of the match between Alexander Bublik and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

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Atmosphere on Court 3 of the Caja Mágica

“Obviously, I am playing very well on that court. I have no preference, I don't mind playing on center court, court 2, or court 3. I will try my best on any court, but I feel very good playing here in Madrid and hope the next match will be the same”.

The support from the crowd

“I knew that at some point the match would go that way with the crowd. I had already talked about it with my team, so I expected it. It didn't affect me much because I knew it would happen, although it's tough in the moment. I think I managed it well, remained calm and focused on myself, and that's why it didn't affect me as much. The crowd is helping me a lot. When I feel like I can't go on, having them cheering and supporting from the outside makes a huge difference. It's an incredible help and motivates me to keep fighting when I think I can't anymore”.

Match against Moutet

“At the start, I was as nervous as always. Then, with the support of the crowd and starting the match well, you relax a bit. Today I was more relaxed than in the first round and I hope to keep improving in that aspect. In the second set, I noticed that he had changed things and was causing me more trouble, so I talked to my coach and tried to adjust and see what I could do better to get back to the level of the first set”.

Reaching the next level

“I think I had the level, but I was lacking matches of this kind, competing against these players throughout the match. This year, I started playing more matches at this level and from the first one, I felt that I could compete. Now I believe I have the level to do it against anyone. I try to focus on myself. I knew I could earn my place based on my level, and that's how it has been. It all depends on me”.

Next challenge: Bublik or Tsitsipas

“I don't have a clear preference. It depends more on how I am that day. If I play at 100% and set my pace, I think I can compete against any style”.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mérida: "Creo que tengo nivel para competir contra cualquiera"