Main-draw play started this Thursday at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open with a busy first-round schedule. Our photographer Jimmie48 made it to a lot of matches and he also attended many practice sessions.
![Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Kiki_Bertens_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4023_original.jpg)
Defending champion Kiki Bertens recorded her first Tour-level win of the season by defeating world No.901 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra 6-4 6-0.
![Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Victoria_Jimenez_Kasintseva_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4114_original.jpg)
Fifteen-year-old Kasintseva was making her WTA main-draw debut this week as the youngest player in the draw.
![Angelique Kerber of Germany](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Angelique_Kerber_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_3710_original.jpg)
Angelique Kerber booked her place in the second round with a 7-6(5) 6-1 victory over Marketa Vondrousova.
![Iga Swiatek of Poland](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Iga_Swiatek_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_5229_original.jpg)
Seed No.14 Iga Swiatek beat Alison Riske 6-1 6-1 to record her 16th straight set win on clay on her Madrid debut.
![Sloane Stephens of the United States](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sloane_Stephens_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-Z66_4493_original.jpg)
Sloane Stephens advanced to the second round after taking out lucky loser Danka Kovinic 6-4 6-1. Kovinic entered the main draw when Garbine Muguruza withdrew because she hasn’t fully recovered from her injury sustained in Charleston.
![Belinda Bencic of Switzerland](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Belinda_Bencic_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_5632_original.jpg)
Eighth seed Belinda Bencic got past Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 6-2.
![Elena Vesnina of Russia](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Elena_Vesnina_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_5094_original.jpg)
Elena Vesnina played her first singles match in nearly three years. The Russian fell to compatriot Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-4.
![Veronika Kudermetova of Russia](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Veronika_Kudermetova_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_5119_original.jpg)
Laura Siegemund defeated Kateryna Kozlova 6-4 6-2. The German rocked the Fila Tie Breaker Tie Dye Tank and matching colorful Axilus 2 Energized shoes with a classic white skirt and white knee-high socks.
![Laura Siegemund of Germany](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Laura_Siegemund_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_5471_original.jpg)
Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Aryna Sabalenka, Anett Kontaveit, Daria Kasatkina, Jelena Ostapenko and Amanda Anisimova were all on the court practicing this Thursday.
![Naomi Osaka of Japan](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Naomi_Osaka_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4212_original.jpg)
![Simona Halep of Romania](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Simona_Halep_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4441_original.jpg)
![Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Aryna_Sabalenka_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4372_original.jpg)
![Anett Kontaveit of Estonia](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Anett_Kontaveit_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4846_original.jpg)
![Daria Kasatkina of Russia](https://womenstennisblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Daria_Kasatkina_-_2021_Mutua_Madrid_Open_Day_1_-DSC_4507_original.jpg)
Keep checking back to Women’s Tennis Blog for more exclusive photos from the Mutua Madrid Open.
Kasatkina is currently not sponsored by Nike but she’s still wearing Nike. How is that happen? Kind of confusing this sponsor thing. At least for me. Haha.
Alip Apai, Kasatkina is wearing her Nike leftovers. She explained details about her Nike contract and her current apparel situation in a recent interview I shared here: https://womenstennisblog.com/2021/04/20/daria-kasatkina-opens-up-about-being-bisexual/