'Someone with great future in front of him,' Rafael Nadal heaps praises on 16-year-old Darwin Blanch after defeating him 6-1, 6-0 in Madrid Open

After the match, Nadal was all praise for the teenager. The 37-year-old admitted that though Blanch made many mistakes, he had to play boldly without taking any risks.

I think today I played against someone with a great future in front of him. Today he was making mistakes. I tried to be there and be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. Happy to be through. Wish him all the best future. Rafael Nadal said 

The duo also set the record for the largest age gap in an ATP 1000 Masters event. In the match, the World No.1028 tried several times to throw aces, but it was ineffective in front of the Spaniard. Blanch hit 15 unforced errors compared to the Spaniard’s four. 

Rafael Nadal will face Alex de Minaur in second round

There were glimpses of vintage Rafael Nadal against Darwin Blanch but whether the Spaniard will play mercilessly in the Round of 64 is uncertain. Nadal will once again face Australia’s Alex de Minaur. Fans are happy to see a formidable Nadal and expect the same in the next match.

De Minaur was the reason behind Nadal’s Barcelona Open exit last week. In the Round of 32, the Australian prevailed with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-1. The second-round match in Madrid will be their fifth encounter. De Mianur has the chance to tie the head-to-head record 3-3 if he wins the upcoming match against Rafa. 

Even if the Madrid Open ends up as Nadal’s last one on home soil, then fans have nothing but to wish for his triumph in the tournament, where he is a five-time champion. If everything works for him, he will participate in Roland Garros, or else, he hinted that he may end up missing it.