Marco Trungelliti (Image via Getty)

The Madrid Open is facing criticism after Argentinian tennis player Marco Trungelliti accused the crowd of racist abuse during his first-round match against Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar. The 36-year-old player said fans crossed limits and claimed tournament officials did little to stop it. The incident occurred during a tense three-set match at the 2026 Madrid Open, where Truganelli entered the main draw as a lucky loser after losing in qualifying, but faced Mérida Aguilar again.While the match was highly competitive, attention immediately turned to the crowd’s behavior, which Truganelli later described as hostile and racist. He lost the first set but came back to win the second set and force a deciding set. In the final set, Merida Aguilar saved two match points, pushing the match into a tie-break and winning after two hours and 44 minutes. During that set, Trungelliti argued with the audience and complained to the supervisor about the constant booing and heckling from the home crowd.

Marco Trungelliti shared his feelings on Instagram after the match and did not hold back. He said the crowd’s behavior was unacceptable and described it as racist from the start.He wrote, “Concludes last night’s case. Was it embarrassing? Yes. Was it racist? Yes. Disrespect from the start? Yes. Did they do anything about it? Not much. Do I care? No.”His strong words immediately caught the attention of the tennis world, especially since the Madrid Open has already faced criticism in previous years.In 2024, Fabio Fognini openly complained about the conditions in the player hotel. He posted a photo of a small single bed on Instagram and sarcastically questioned the hospitality of the tournament. In 2023, Coco Gauff criticized the incident as she and Jessica Pegula were not allowed to give speeches after finishing runner-up in the women’s doubles.That same year, Inga Swiatek also talked about scheduling problems during her solo runner-up speech. With Trungelliti’s latest accusation, questions have once again returned regarding the treatment of players at the Madrid Open.