Rafael Nadal to face 16-year-old Darwin Blanch in Madrid opener - when is the match and what's his draw?
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Updated 24/04/2024 at 08:39 GMT
Who is Rafael Nadal playing at the Madrid Open? When is Nadal's first match? Are Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz playing? What's the draw? The combined ATP and WTA 1000 event starts this week in the Spanish capital will most of the top stars from both tours in action. Alcaraz has won the Madrid Open the last two years in a row and is bidding for a hat-trick.
‘For the sake of all tennis’ - Djokovic wants Nadal to ‘play at least one more tournament’
Rafael Nadal continues his clay comeback at the Madrid Open this week.
Nadal played his first tournament in three months at the Barcelona Open, winning one match and then losing to fourth seed Alex de Minaur in straight sets.
That was his first clay event since winning the 2022 French Open and he will look for further steps forward in Madrid.
What is Nadal’s draw in Madrid? Who will he play and when will he play? We run through everything you need to know…
When is Nadal playing in Madrid?
The ATP main draw at the Madrid Open starts on Wednesday, April 24.
Nadal will play his first match on Thursday, April 25.
Who is Nadal playing in Madrid?
Nadal is using his protected ranking to enter the Madrid Open so is unseeded.
He will face 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in the first round of the tournament.
If Nadal gets past wildcard Blanch he will face a rematch against Alex de Minaur in the second round.
Frances Tiafoe could await in the third round and then Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas is a potential fourth-round opponent.
Are Djokovic and Alcaraz playing in Madrid?
Those hoping for another Nadal v Novak Djokovic clash in Madrid were disappointed as the world No. 1 pulled out of the tournament.
Djokovic, who watched El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid on Sunday, has not given an official reason for his withdrawal.
Carlos Alcaraz is in the draw as he looks to overcome an arm injury and win his third Madrid Open in a row.
The world No. 3 hasn't played since losing in the Miami Open quarter-finals due to injury, missing both Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
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Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion in Madrid
Image credit: Getty Images
He has a first-round bye as the second seed and will open against either Alexander Shevchenko or Arthur Rinderknech.
Lorenzo Musetti could await in the third round, while Holger Rune is seeded to be a quarter-final opponent.
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner will be the top seed at the Madrid Open and could face fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego in his first match.
Nadal aiming to build momentum
After several false starts, Nadal’s comeback got up and running in Barcelona.
Playing his first tournament since Brisbane, it didn’t last perhaps as long as Nadal would have liked, but he left Barcelona saying he hopes to be “competitive in a few weeks”.
The main focus remains building up fitness and getting match practice ahead of the French Open, which starts on May 26.
“I have to behave in Madrid according to how I feel,” said Nadal.
“If I can do a week of practice sessions in Madrid with quality players, if I can play sets every day, if my body gets used to that level of competition and I feel I’m ready, then I’ll be able to progress.
“If my body can cope with the progressive load, it’ll help me week after week to be able to try and demand more. I hope so. But that’s the reality. The logical thing would be to take it progressively, to try and take one more step in Madrid. Not in terms of matches, because that depends on the competition. I’ve played very little. But in terms of being able to fight for it a little more in Madrid, then more still in Rome.
“In Paris, then it’s in the lap of the gods. If I’m going to give it a shot, that would be the time to do it. Whatever happens, that is the place.”
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