Ahead of his match against Australian Alex de Minaur at the Madrid Open, Rafael Nadal made an astounding statement.
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When Rafael Nadal steps out to play Alex de Minaur at the Madrid Open, he will be playing his final match, as he has all but accepted.
The incredible statement was delivered by the 22-time grand slam champion following his decisive victory over 16-year-old Darwin Blanch on Friday morning (AEST).
In his final match in the Spanish city, Rafael Nadal easily defeated the American wildcard 6-1 6-0 to go to the second round.
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In spite of his lack of fitness, the 37-year-old destroyed Blanch in one hour and three minutes this week, continuing his injury recovery.
Last week, he participated in his first tournament since January at the Barcelona Open, where he lost to Australian de Minaur in the second round. The 25-year-old became the first Australian to defeat Rafael Nadal on a clay surface with that victory.
Over the past six months, the world No. 11 has been playing at an intense level, and Nadal has obviously been observing, throwing a red signal before they have even on the court.
He declared, “I would be quite shocked if I defeated Alex de Minaur on Saturday.”
“Winning or losing isn’t the most important thing right now. Nothing about my career will alter with one or two more victories.
“Winning the title is not my goal for coming to Madrid. Saturday is just a chance for me to reflect on my current situation. I played well against him in Barcelona for one set.
The Spaniard’s current goal is to regain some form and fitness in order to compete in Rome and the French Open, where he holds the record with 14 victories.
When addressing other reporters, he was less dejected.
“It wasn’t possible last week,” remarked Rafael Nadal, who fell to the Australian 7-5, 6-1 in Barcelona on April 18.
“This week is going to be really challenging, no doubt. I’m glad to be back on the court because I’ll get the chance to play, which is almost like a gift.
“I’ll do my best to be competitive; he’s a challenging player who plays at a very high level.”
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“I can only say thank you for the support I’ve had here, as it’s difficult to compare to anywhere else since I first played here.”
Even though he won easily, Rafael Nadal claimed it had no bearing on his chances of competing at his beloved Roland Garros.
“I’m a realist about what occurs and I’m not a results-based man. I was playing against a player who has good potential but makes a lot of mistakes,” he declared.
“It doesn’t affect how I see Paris, and it won’t change here. I’ll decide after Rome.” In the second game, Nadal overcame the overwhelming and initially intimidated American, who was ranked 1,028th in the world.
Blanch scored in the fourth game, but after the young player blasted a forehand into the net in the sixth, Nadal broke again.
At the beginning of the second set, Blanch turned down two break points, but Nadal won the third to consolidate his lead.
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After a thrilling rally for a 3-0 advantage, the ruthless tennis legend broke again, and again when Blanch went long to make it 5-0.
With a strong serve that Blanch was unable to handle, Nadal won on his second match point and set up the de Minaur rematch, which is set for this Saturday morning (AEST).
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