Stéfanos Tsitsipás defeated Lucas Pouille 6–3, 6–4 in the first round of the Madrid Masters on clay on 4 May 2022, confirming his status as the heavy pre-match favourite with a composed performance. Tsitsipás, who entered at odds of 1.07, controlled both sets against Pouille, who had been priced at 11.28 to upset the Greek player. The clinical nature of the victory—two straight sets without dropping a set—underscored Tsitsipás's comfort on clay and his ability to dispatch lower-ranked opposition efficiently. The result kept Tsitsipás on course in Madrid and maintained his strong form heading into the latter stages of the spring clay-court campaign.