A meeting attracted all the attention this Thursday at Madrid Masters 1000. For his entry into the tournament which he won five times, Rafael Nadal was treated to a real shock of generations against the young player of only 16 years old, Darwin Blanchwho was not even born during the Mallorcan’s first three titles in Roland Garros. 21 years and 117 days, never has a Masters 1000 match opposed two players with such an age gap. And on the pitch, the gap in level was also immense. The man with 22 Grand Slam titles crushed the American in 66 minutes, 6-1, 6-0. A good operation for Nadal who did not have to work before finding the Australian Alex De Minaura week after his defeat at Barcelona against the latter. The opportunity to see the progress of the Bull of Manacor, who remains very cautious after his big victory.
Video – Rafael Nadal after his victory against 16-year-old Darwin Blanch
Find the table for the Masters 1000 in Madrid here
“I try to enjoy every moment”
“I think today I played against an opponent who has a great future ahead of him, but today he made mistakes,” told Nadal on the court. “I just tried to be there, to be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. It worked well. I’m glad I stopped by and I wish him the best for the future. Every time I have the chance to be on court in this extraordinary stadium with a crowd that supports me unconditionally, it means a lot to me. I try to enjoy every moment. Tomorrow there will be another day of training here and the day after tomorrow I will be on the court again. It feels good.”
Rafael Nadal seeded at Roland-Garros? Amélie Mauresmo’s response…
25 days before the start of qualifications Roland Garros, the presentation press conference took place this Thursday. Accompanied by the president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), Gilles Morettonthe tournament director Amélie Mauresmo spoke to journalists. One of the main topics was the great return of Rafael Nadal, expected Porte d’Auteuil despite many doubts about his physical form. The question of giving him seeded status was asked to Mauresmowho did not kick into touch.
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“I would be surprised to win on Saturday against de Minaur”
At a press conference, Rafael Nadal supported his statement this week. His participation for Roland-Garros remains uncertain. “My perception does not change, after Rome I will decide if I go to Paris or not“, simply declared the Spaniard. He then returned to his future opponent Alex de Minauragainst whom he had lost at Barcelona (7-5, 6-1): “I would be surprised to win on Saturday. For me, it’s an opportunity to test myself as a tennis player, in Barcelona I was only able to play one set. Alex is a tough opponent, he makes you play every point… To win, I need time and effort.”
“Three weeks ago, I didn’t know if I was going to play an official match again”
On a physical level, Rafael Nadal must also be careful not to draw a line under future meetings. “The hardest part is not winning or losing, it’s going all out and going all the way. Now I have to be more careful, even if it goes against my philosophy of always giving my best. Three weeks ago, I didn’t know if I was going to play an official match again“, even whispered the Spaniard after the meeting.
