WATCH: Controversial scenes at Madrid Open as Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Teodora Kostovic engage in heated argument; chair umpire intervenes
Tense scenes emerged at the 2025 Madrid Open qualifiers during the match between Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Teodora Kostovic. The match ended with a heated confrontation between the two players as the Serb won 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (3).
The match was a closely-contested affair, with the players splitting the first two sets. The third set swung to and fro as both players had multiple breaks of service. Kostovic had a 4-2 lead but could not hold on and also had the opportunity to serve for the match at 6-5 in the third set. However, Ruse fought back to take the match to a tiebreaker but could not finish it, as her opponent won the tiebreaker 7-3.
The match had other elements as well. The crowd was minimal for the match, but there was one-sided support for the Romanian player. On the other hand, to keep herself motivated, Kostovic used the tactic of celebrating vocally after winning every pressure point, which visibly irritated Ruse.
When the match ended, the tensions boiled over, as Ruse refused to shake hands at the net with Kostovic and confronted her. The argument seemed to be heating up when the chair umpire had to intervene in order to contain the situation. Kostovic was seen recording the argument on her phone, while Ruse was heard saying,
"I’m not going to say anything, don’t worry,....I’m the more mature [one] here."
Ruse came into Madrid on the back of a semifinal run at the Open de Rouen, where she lost 0-6, 2-6 against eventual champion Elina Svitolina.
Teodora Kostovic makes her main draw debut at the Madrid Open
After her win against Ruse, Teodora Kostovic was able to follow it up with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Lucrezia Stefanini in the final round of qualifying to reach her first main draw in 2025. The Serb will face Germany's Eva Lys in the first round in the main draw, with a potential face-off against third-seeded Jessica Pegula in the second round.
Kostovic did not play too much in 2025, as the Madrid Open is only her fourth event of the year. She played at the Qualifiers at the Abu Dhabi Open and the Miami Open, losing 4-6, 2-6 against McCartney Kessler, and 2-6, 6-7 (9) against Greet Minnen, respectively.
This will be Kostovic's debut on the WTA main draw as the 17-year-old takes on Lys whom she has not played previously in her career.