Rafael Nadal is back! After an unfortunate round of 5-7, 1-6 exit against Alex De Minaur in Barcelona, Rafa will aim to make his claim in the Madrid Open. Fans want to see him go far in the championships, but the final result will depend on his fitness and confidence level. The path to the final for Rafa has been revealed, and it features many contests with American foes.

The King of Clay initially aimed to get some matches under his belt this year, but that is no longer a possibility. Rafa will have to face some of the best players on the Tour on clay, with the first match against the 16-year-old Darwin Blanch, who reached the semifinal of the 2023 Boys French Open, which shows the player has a solid command over clay.

After him, he will meet Minaur, who beat him in Barcelona, once again this year. If he can overcome Minaur, Rafa will likely face Frances Tiafoe, who can also provide a challenge. Tiafoe went to the final of the ATP Houston, showing good command over clay, which can be troublesome for Rafa in his current diminished form.

Post-Tiafoe, the American torture ends as Rafa might go up against either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dusan Lajović’. Neither will make it easy as they have shown fantastic form on clay this year. But then come either Daniil Medvedev or another American, Ben Shelton, if Nadal reaches the quarterfinal. He may stand a good chance against Medvedev as he historically despises clay.

However, the American left-handed player can disrupt Rafa with his powerful left forehand and make the game physical for the recuperating Spaniard. Shelton’s mind-boggling serve can disrupt Rafa’s flow as well. The semifinals will pit him against one of Jannik Sinner or Casper Ruud, who are on a roll and will shut Rafa down with no quarter given.

If he were to reach the final, Rafa would likely face Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, or Andrey Rublev. Nadal has many American giants to face in his final Madrid appearance. Safe to say, the King of Clay title of Rafa will be truly tested in Madrid. He will initially play the 16-year-old Blanch, who shared a hilarious reaction when he found out he would play Rafa.

Darwin Blanch goes ‘WTF’ as he faces Rafael Nadal in his first Madrid appearance

In the current tennis generation, younger stars are showing that they are ready to take the torch from their seniors. Blanch is one of them, as he is ready to move on from ITF tournaments. He will play the biggest game of his career in Madrid against Nadal, in what will be his second appearance in the ATP Tour main draw. 

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Learning about his clash, Blanch wrote, “Guys I play Nadal wtf” on his Snapchat with his face covered in absolute shock. As per Opta Ace, the age gap of 21 years and 117 days is the biggest in an ATP 1000 Masters match since the level was introduced in 1990. Coincidentally, the opening round of the 2023 Madrid Open held the previous record, which was 19 years and 204 days between Richard Gasquet and Martin Landaluce.

Blanch is right to be fearful of Rafa, but he will not back down. Any result at the moment will be a boon for the teenager as he will have the story of a lifetime after the clash.