Rafael Nadal , the King of Clay, has returned to action at the Mutua Madrid Open, likely for the last time. After a decent performance at the Barcelona Open, the Spaniard is looking to excel at the Masters 1000 event. Nadal, known for his past successes, is aiming to recapture that form as his retirement approaches.
In the first round of the Madrid tournament, Rafael Nadal faced a young Darwin Blanch. Fans anticipated a potentially miraculous performance from the 16-year-old, given the opportunity. However, Nadal, in his final season at the Madrid Open, was determined not to give up easily.
From the start, Rafael Nadal was in fantastic form. He quickly put the teenager on the back foot and convincingly defeated him to advance to the next round. The match ended in a one-sided 6-1, 6-0 victory for Nadal, leaving the American with little chance against the seasoned Spaniard.
Even the former coach of Serena Williams, Rennae Stubbs, felt that the competition didn’t have to include a 16-year-old as a Wild Card entry. She felt that the wildcard should be given to former champions and No.1s than a 16-year-old.
I don’t think giving a 16-year-old a WC into a 1000 is a good idea. I actually think we need to get rid of WCs in 1000s. The only 1s that should ever be given are to former Major champs or former #1s. Everyone else should have to play Qs. A WC is NOT bringing in more fans to a 1000 . Rennae Stubbs wrote on X
Rafael Nadal prolongs his life at Madrid after exceptional first-round win
Spanish ace Rafael Nadal continues to extend his stay at the Mutua Madrid Open as he managed to extend his first-round win with ease. However, a difficult opponent lies ahead for the Spaniard, who cannot catch a breath.
The Spanish pro will face Alex de Minaur in the next round. It is a rematch of the Barcelona Open second round, where the Spaniard lost to de Minaur in straight sets 7-5, 6-1. A week later, Nadal gets paired against the Australian yet again.
On de Minaur’s part, it is his first match at the Madrid tournament this season, being 10th seeded player. His best outings at Madrid have been third-round finishes in 2021 and 2023, as opposed to his upcoming opponent, who has five titles here.
More must-reads: