Rafael Nadal will play at the 2024 Madrid Open, and he got a favourable draw with a young player, Darwin Blanch, as his first-round opponent.
Facing the 14-time French Open winner on clay is never easy, but it's particularly not easy if you're a 16-year-old player. Blanch is very talented and plays well on clay, but he's certainly going to feel the moment of playing Nadal on clay on Spanish soil.
The Spaniard showed last week that he's still very good on the surface, especially against a player who might get overwhelmed by the situation. Blanch will try his best, so let's see whether he'll be able to give Nadal any kind of trouble.
Head-to-head:
Obviously, they never played against each other because Blanch was a child when Nadal was playing his best tennis. Right now, Nadal is definitely the better player, but if Blanch can approach the match without any fear, he might have some good moments.
Nadal has generally not played that well in Madrid over the years because the conditions are a bit different than he likes. He still won it multiple times, but compared to how he dominated some other clay events, this one is clearly a step below that.
Blanch plays well on clay for the most part but he can be beaten.
| Rafael Nadal | Darwin Blanch | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 512 | Rank | 1028 |
| 37 | Age | 16 |
| 3-2 | 2024 W/L | 0-1 |
| 1071-222 | Career W/L | 0-1 |
Prediction:
I don't really think Blanch has any chances here because the moment will be huge. The crowd will be firmly behind Nadal, especially since this might be his final time playing in Madrid.
He's also one of the best on clay events and showed in Barcelona that he can still play some amazing tennis. Overall, it's just going to be a nice comeback for Nadal, who will grind down his opponent quickly.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in two sets.
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