(Video) Teodora Kostovic and Elena-Gabriela Ruse engage in heated confrontation during Madrid Open qualifier

Teodora Kostovic secured a three-set win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse before beating  Lucrezia Stefanini to reach the main draw.

(Video) Teodora Kostovic and Elena-Gabriela Ruse engage in heated confrontation during Madrid Open qualifier

Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Teodora Kostovic engaged in verbal altercation in Madrid (Image via X/US Open, Jimmie48Photography, Tommy)

On Monday (April 21) Teodora Kostovic and Elena-Gabriela Ruse locked horns in the first qualifier of the Madrid Open. The match saw a heated argument between the two players, which did not stop even after the match, and the chair umpire had to intervene.

The tight qualifier saw the two players win a set each. Momentum shifted throughout the third set. Kostovic couldn’t capitalize on her 4-2 lead and later, she was on the verge of winning as she was just one game away from victory. The set ended not before the tie-breaker which Kostovic won to book a spot in the second qualifier.

During the match, however, Ruse was receiving a lot of support from the Romanian crowd. The Serbian ace, to keep herself motivated, celebrated aggressively after winning every point. Her celebrations annoyed Ruse who didn’t shake hands with Kostovic after the match.

In a video that’s been doing rounds on social media, Ruse could be seen giving a piece of her mind to Kostovic, who it seemed paid no heed to the Romanian. Kostovic also could be seen taking selfies with the crowd while Ruse was arguing with her.

I’m not going to say anything, don’t worry. I’m the more mature here.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse told the chair umpire

Watch the video here:

Ruse entered the Madrid Open following her semifinal run at the Open de Rouen where Elina Svitolina secured a straight-set win over her before beating Olga Danilovic to win the title. The World No.85 has so far lifted just one title in her career and is searching for her first title of the season.

Kostovic, ranked No.625, has not yet won a title. The 17-year-old, at the Madrid Open, reached the main draw of a 2025 tournament for the first time. After beating Ruse, she knocked out Italy’s Lucrezia Stefanini in the second qualifier.

Teodora Kostovic to lock horns with Eva Lys

Teodora Kostovic is scheduled to lock horns with Eva Lys on Wednesday (April 23). The match will be their first encounter on the tour.

Teodora Kostovic
Teodora Kostovic (Image via X/Jimmie48 Photography)

Lys, ranked 68, entered the Madrid Open after her defeat to semifinalist Jasmine Paolini in the Stuttgart Open. The German, who has a 12-10 win-loss record this season, produced her best performance at the Australian Open.

She came as a qualifier but her decent performance took her to the fourth round where she squared off against World No.2 Iga Swiatek. The five-time Grand Slam champion did not break a sweat in the match as she registered a bagel in the first set, restricting Lys to just one game in the second set.

The winner of the match will face World No.3 Jessica Pegula who has received a bye and will kick-start her campaign in the round of 64. Kostovic is projected to meet 14th seed Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round, and Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, or Paolini in the quarterfinals.

If Kostovic advances to the semifinals, she could face World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who is bidding to win her third title of the season and her third title in Madrid, having lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2023. In the final, Kostovic is projected to lock horns with defending champion Swiatek or 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

The teenager has never played the Grand Slam tournaments but in Grand Slam juniors, she produced her best when she reached the quarterfinals of the the 2024 Wimbledon and 2024 US Open. Last year, she made her senior debut when she played in a home ITF tournament in Kursumlijska Banja. She made her WTA 1000 debut this year as she qualified for the qualifying rounds of the Miami Open.

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