Rafael Nadal didn’t need much effort as he cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over American teenager Darwin Blanch in the first round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
Nadal looked in good form in what was only his third match since returning from his latest injury layoff. He had made his return in Barcelona last week, losing to Alex De Minaur in the second round.
Nadal and De Minaur will meet again in the second round in Madrid.
“I hope I can give my best and be competitive against De Minaur,” Nadal said. “Every time I have the chance to be on court in this amazing stadium with an unconditional supportive crowd, it means a lot to me. Just trying to enjoy every moment. Tomorrow, one more day of practice here and then after tomorrow, on court again. That makes me feel great.”
Nadal had arrived in Madrid saying that he was not 100% fit and that he was going to play only because the tournament was at home.
On Wednesday, 37-year-old Nadal said that in his current condition he would not play if this were the French Open. A 22-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal had hip surgery last summer and said 2024 would probably be his last year on tour.
Nadal broke Blanch at the first opportunity in the second game before grabbing the first set in 28 minutes. Nadal, who last claimed the title on Madrid’s clay in 2017, broke again to take the lead in the second set and kept up the pace against Blanch, who is still seeking his first tour win, to close out the match in just over an hour.
The age gap between the pair was 21 years, 117 days, the biggest ever between two opponents at the ATP Masters 1000 level.
Blanch committed 27 unforced errors in what was his second ATP Tour match; he made his debut last month in Miami.
“I think today I played against someone with a great future in front of him,” Nadal said. “[But] today he was making mistakes. I tried to be there and be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. I’m happy to be through, and I wish him all the very best.”
The win was Nadal’s record-extending 57th in Madrid, and he has won the tournament five times.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.