Wednesday quarterfinal preview: Kostyuk and Noskova test their form in a top 25 duel

MADRID -- Two more quarterfinals to go at the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open.

In a WTA Driven by Mercedes-Benz top 25 matchup, World No. 13 Linda Noskova and World No. 23 Marta Kostyuk encounter each other for the first time in a tour-level match to open the night session, while former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova takes on lucky loser Anastasia Potapova in an unseeded matchup earlier in the afternoon.

Here's everything to know about Wednesday's quarterfinals:

Order of play

Manolo Santana 
11:00 a.m., ATP singles
NB 1:00 p.m., Pliskova vs. Potapova
NB 4:00 p.m., ATP singles
NB 8:00 p.m., Noskova vs. Kostyuk

Pliskova vs. Potapova preview

Head-to-Head: Pliskova leads 1-0
Last meeting: Pliskova 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 at 2024 Doha second round

This is likely the most unexpected quarterfinal matchup in the draw, with Pliskova finding a strong rhythm in just her second clay-court tournament since returning from injury and Potapova capitalizing on a 35-minute notice lucky loser opportunity. Both Pliskova and Potapova are the lone unseeded players left in the tournament.

On Monday, Potapova upset World No. 2 Elena Rybakina 7-6 (8), 6-4 win, earning her fourth career victory over a top 5 opponent, and she's now into her 32nd singles quarterfinal and fourth WTA 1000 quarterfinal. She's had a strong start to clay-court season, reaching the final in Linz, her best performance since reaching the quarterfinals in Cluj-Napoca and third round at the Australian Open.

"I came out on court with nothing to regret, with nothing to lose," Potapova said after her win over Rybakina. "I just wanted actually to see where my level is now because she's one of the best now, and she's the one you have to look up to. I just wanted to see -- am I far or am I close?

"Such a win gives me a booster mentally and physically. The team and are going to make everything to recover and go out on match day and enjoy."

With a win over Pliskova, Potapova could become the first lucky loser to reach the semifinal at a Tier 1/WTA 1000 event since the format's introduction in 1990. Furthermore, she'd also reach her first career WTA 1000 semifinal, having lost the previous three quarterfinals, most recently at Indian Wells in 2024.

As for the Czech, Pliskova has the lone victory in the head-to-head, which occurred during a run to her most recent WTA 1000 quarterfinal in the Qatari capital two years ago. She's picked up convincing wins over Maria Sakkari and Elise Mertens, overcoming a 1-4 [0-40] deficit in the latter, as well as handling Solana Sierra with ease on Monday.

Though using a protected ranking to enter the tournament directly, her current World No. 197 ranking makes Pliskova the lowest ranked quarterfinalist in the tournament's history. She's eyeing her second semifinal in Madrid, where she had her best run at the event in 2018. 

"It was a lot of effort to get there," Pliskova said on reaching the quarterfinals. "It feels great. Today, definitely not the best match but somehow I managed to get through. I think my game is there."

Much of this tournament has been a physical test for Pliskova, who's playing a strategic schedule after recovering from two surgeries on her left foot that sidelined her for a year. She's passed the tests thus far, and Pliskova smartly decided to forego the Sunshine Swing and train for the clay-court season, where she reached the quarterfinals in Linz.

Pliskova can reach her first WTA 1000 semifinal since that same tournament she beat Potapova in Doha. 

Noskova vs. Kostyuk preview

Head-to-Head: First meeting

There's not history between these two top 25 players on the WTA Tour in terms of matches, but Kostyuk said they've practiced several times. Also, it's the lone quarterfinal matchup that features two players that have yet to face one another. 

Kostyuk comes in with the most momentum between the two, arriving in Madrid after winning her second career singles title in Rouen, France, where she was part of the all-Ukrainian final. In Spain, she's been one of the most dominant players, earning all three of her wins in straight sets, including a 6-1, 6-4 drubbing of World No. 5 Jessica Pegula in the third round. 

With a win over Noskova, Marta Kostyuk will reach her second career semifinal at a WTA 1000 event, following her 2024 run to the Indian Wells semifinal where she lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek. 

"I practiced with her so many times that I thought I played against her once, but I didn't," Kostyuk said. "[Noskova] is such as a heavy hitter, clean shots, it's not going to be easy. Whoever makes it this far is obviously very good."

As for Noskova, the Czech on Monday pulled off a stunning comeback in the third set against Coco Gauff in 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (4) win, where she was down 1-4 in the final set, to reach the quarterfinals. After the match, Noskova explained she felt she had lost her rhythm, but ultimately found it again in the third set. 

She's played fewer matches in Madrid, as she advanced to the Round of 16 via walkover because of Liudmila Samsonova illness, but has performed well as of late with a quarterfinal run in Stuttgart and reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells. Wednesday's match will be her fourth career WTA 1000 quarterfinal, but first on clay court. 

"I would say I'm handling clay season pretty well so far," Noskova said to press Monday. "I mean I feel great on it. I haven't had that much practice so maybe that's the thing I'm going to do every year now [laughing].

"I'm just getting that great feeling from Indian Wells, Miami and Billie Jean King Cup and kind of pre-shaping that on the clay this season."