Tennis Champion Saved from Elevator During Major Blackout in Spain and Portugal -

Tennis player Fernando Romboli found himself stuck in an elevator during a power outage that caused chaos at the Madrid Open.

The blackout affected a large part of Spain and Portugal on Monday, prompting Spain to declare a national emergency.

Man giving a thumbs-up while trapped in an elevator for 30 minutes. — Fernando Romboli was trapped in an elevator
Credit: INSTAGRAM / @fernando_romboli

Man trapped in elevator during a national power outage in Spain. — Romboli, 36, was finally released by the maintenance team
Credit: INSTAGRAM / @fernando_romboli

Multiple tennis players were left stranded at Madrid’s Caja Magica venue as the area fell into darkness.

Romboli, 36, experienced the brunt of the situation, entering the elevator moments before the power outage struck.

Currently ranked No. 62 in doubles, Romboli was not slated to compete in the tournament this week and attended as an alternate after failing to qualify.

To make matters worse, the recent champion from Houston found himself stuck in the elevator for nearly half an hour.

In a selfie taken during his predicament, Romboli flashed a thumbs-up and tagged the Madrid Open.

He remarked: “30 minutes stuck in the elevator… if there’s an alternate now, I won’t make it in time.”

Eventually, a maintenance crew on-site arrived to open the doors and free him.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff achieved a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Belinda Bencic just before the 12:30 p.m. power outage.

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Coco Gauff being interviewed after her match. — Coco Gauff’s post-match interview was interrupted by the power cut
Credit: Alamy

Gauff, 21, was in the middle of her on-court interview when the power went out, causing her microphone to cease working mid-sentence.

The American later mentioned that she had to walk back to her hotel without showering due to the congested streets around the Caja Magica.

Exact moment the power went out at the Madrid Open

British tennis talent Jacob Fearnley encountered a challenging situation as play was halted while he was serving to stay in his match against Grigor Dimitrov at 4-6, 4-5.

All remaining matches were subsequently canceled for the day, urging fans to leave the venue if possible.

The dimly lit indoor concourse was aided by phone flashlights, allowing for food and beverage purchases, but transactions were limited to cash due to non-functioning contactless machines.

Another player who managed to complete her match was the teenage rising star Mirra Andreeva.

The Russian finished her match against Yuliia Starodubtseva despite the power outage, with the umpire calling the lines during the final moments.

A person uses their phone's flashlight to read a tournament draw posted on a wall. — The concourse was plunged into darkness in Madrid
Credit: Getty

Two individuals in a dark stairwell during a power outage; one is sitting on the stairs looking at their phone while the other is lying down. A sign reading "ESTADIO 1 MANOLO SANTANA" is visible on the wall. — Fans had to navigate using phone torches
Credit: Getty

Fans walking through dark hallways during a power outage. — Fans were urged to leave the venue if possible
Credit: Getty

‘Kind of Exciting’

Andreeva, who is set to celebrate her 18th birthday on Tuesday, shared with the WTA after her match: “This is my first blackout. It’s actually kind of exciting because I’ve never been through anything like this.

“I’m really thankful they put me first so I could finish everything on time.

“But I don’t want to spend the night here and sleep in the gym. We’ll see what they advise us and go from there.”

Assuming power is restored, anticipate a hectic day on Tuesday as the tournament aims to get back on track.

The resumption of Fearnley’s match against Dimitrov will take place second on Manolo Santana court, following Diana Shnaider’s match with world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.