Goffin Retires, Muller Joins Humbert in the Second Round of the Madrid Masters 1000

The first French player in action on Thursday for the first round of the Madrid Masters 1000, Alexandre Muller faced David Goffin in a high-profile match. The Belgian, who has previously reached the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros, has been regaining form in recent weeks.

Goffin notably defeated Carlos Alcaraz in Miami and has climbed back into the top 50. Meanwhile, Muller won his first ATP Tour title in Hong Kong and has also proven his ability on clay, as shown by his run to the final at the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro, where he defeated João Fonseca and Francisco Cerundolo before falling to Sebastian Baez in the final.

Ranked 39th in the world this week, the Frenchman hopes to build momentum during this clay-court swing. Unfortunately, his match against Goffin did not end as he would have liked, as Goffin retired early in the third set (6-3, 3-6, 1-0 ret.).

The 34-year-old player, suffering from an ankle injury, was unable to continue. Muller even helped Goffin carry his belongings as he left the court. He will now face his compatriot Ugo Humbert for a spot in the third round in the Spanish capital.