Rafael Nadal started his Madrid Open farewell with a snug straight-set win over American teenager Darwin Blanch.
Spain’s five-time champion, who has indicated he plans to retire after the 2024 season, took simply 63 minutes to finish a 6-1 6-0 victory.
The 37-year-old stated this week he’ll solely play on the French Open subsequent month if he feels “succesful sufficient to compete”.
Nadal will play Australian Alex de Minaur, who beat him within the second spherical of the Barcelona Open final week, within the subsequent spherical.
The 22-time main winner was making his return following a three-month absence on the Barcelona Open, having feared he might not be capable of play once more on the skilled tour.
The French Open, the place Nadal is a report 14-time champion, begins on 26 Might.
“Taking part in right here has all the time been an enormous pleasure and the assist is troublesome to explain in phrases,” Nadal informed Sky Sports activities.
“I simply loved the actual fact I used to be in a position to go on the market yet one more time, and victory offers me the possibility to go on the market once more in two days.
“It is emotional. I’m a passionate particular person however I am additionally a steady persona, so I am having fun with it but in addition specializing in what I have to be and seeing how far I can go by way of pushing my bodily efficiency.”
Within the ladies’s draw, American third seed Coco Gauff recorded an emphatic 6-0 6-0 victory over Dutch participant Arantxa Rus.
However four-time main winner Naomi Osaka is out following a 6-2 4-6 7-5 loss to Russian fifteenth seed Liudmila Samsonova.
