A nationwide blackout in Spain has forced players off court at the Madrid Open tennis tournament.
British star Jacob Fearnley was among those affected when the power cut hit during matches on Monday.
The blackout has impacted multiple cities across Spain and reportedly extended to neighbouring Portugal and France.
Homes, businesses and public transportation systems have been left without electricity in what appears to be a major infrastructure failure.
Madrid Open matches suspended immediately as power outage causes chaos with British star impactedGETTY
Madrid's underground system was evacuated as a result of the power outage.
The 23-year-old Fearnley was facing Grigor Dimitrov in their Round of 32 clash when the power cut struck.
He was due to serve to remain in the match in the second set when the Spanish capital suffered a complete power loss.
The blackout left the Manolo Santana Stadium without electricity, forcing officials to halt play.
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The fans at the Madrid Open are left in darkness amid the power outage.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 28, 2025
Crazy scenes.
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With the Skycam stuck above court, the decision was made to remove players from the playing area for safety reasons.
Fearnley's match wasn't the only one disrupted by the sudden blackout.
The clash between Damir Dzumhur and Matteo Arnaldi was also suspended mid-play.
A men's doubles match featuring Evan King and Christian Harrison against Matthew Ebden and John Peers became another casualty of the power cut.
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Electronic Line Calling systems and scoreboards immediately switched off when the electricity failed.
Television viewers were greeted with a simple on-screen message reading: "Apologies for loss of pictures."
According to Spanish news outlet SUR, the national blackout was caused by the country's electricity network, Red Electrica Espanola.
The power outage has affected multiple cities beyond Madrid, including Seville, Malaga and Badajoz.
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Reports indicate the blackout has extended beyond Spain's borders.
Portugal and France have also experienced power cuts related to the Spanish outage, with homes and businesses across all affected regions left without electricity.
In addition to the sporting disruption, Madrid's public transport system was severely affected.
Jack Fearnley's match at the Madrid Open has been suspended due to a power outage
SKY
Underground passengers across the Spanish capital were instructed to evacuate immediately.
The sudden evacuation of Madrid's metro system left thousands of commuters stranded above ground.
This transport shutdown compounded the chaos already caused by the widespread power failure.
