Like the entire tennis world, the young American Darwin Blanch wrote an emotional post about Rafael Nadal's farewell, praising the greatest fighter of our sport. Nadal will end his career at the Davis Cup Finals, and a teenager got a chance to play against the legend in the Madrid Masters first round this spring.
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The 16-year-old received the main draw wild card for Caja Magica and faced the 22-time Major winner and the veteran in the first round. Nadal played his first Masters 1000 match since Paris 2022 and crushed the young gun 6-1, 6-0 in 64 minutes.
Rafa kicked off his 20th Madrid Masters in style, dominating a teenager on serve and return and notching his 57th triumph in front of the partisan crowd. The Spaniard played only his third tournament of the season, injuring his left hip at the Australian Open a year earlier and embracing the most extended break of his career.
The king of clay fell to Alex de Minaur in Barcelona before raising his level in Madrid, making a convincing start against an inexperienced opponent.
The 37-year-old controlled everything in his games, dropping nine points and keeping his rival away from break chances.
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Darwin could not find a proper answer, giving away 60% of the points behind the initial shot and losing serve five times from nine chances presented to the four-time Caja Magica champion. Rafa took charge in the shortest and more advanced exchanges, taming his strokes nicely and sailing toward the fifth win since the beginning of 2023!
Nadal closed the first game of the match at love after the rival's backhand mistake and instantly found the rhythm on the return. Blanch led 30-0 before squandered it, placing a routine forehand into the net and suffering an early setback.
Darwin fought well on the return in the third game, erasing Rafa's pair of game points. However, the home favorite landed a service winner, forging a 3-0 advantage after 12 minutes. A teenager found his strokes in the fourth game, providing a hold at love and adding his name to the scoreboard.
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Darwin Blanch sent a touching message to Rafael Nadal.
Still pushing strong in his games, Nadal drew Blanch's mistake in the fifth game, moving 4-1 in front and making another push on the return in the next one.
Darwin saved the first but played a terrible forehand on the second, suffering the second break and sending the crowd favorite 5-1 ahead. The Spaniard served for the opener in game seven and landed an unreturned serve for three set points.
The veteran seized the first, holding at love and clinching the first part of the duel in 28 minutes. Never finding his strokes, Blanch sent a forehand long in the first game of the second set and faced two break points. The young gun saved them and reached a rare deuce before Rafa placed a deep return on the third, delivering a break and extending his streak.
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The four-time Caja Magica champion landed an ace in the second game to cement the advantage and generated another break chance in the next one. The American stepped in and denied it with a service winner before creating a game point with a forehand winner.
Nadal extended the game with a forehand winner and broke his opponent with a volley at the net, opening a 3-0 gap and moving closer to the finish line. Rafa held in the fourth game after causing the rival's mistake and did not stop there, earning two more break points at 4-0.
The veteran converted the first, adding another return game to his tally and serving for the win at 5-0. Blanch reached a deuce while trying to avoid a bagel before Nadal delivered it with a service winner, earning his first Masters 1000 win in over a year and a half.
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The Spaniard played three more matches at Caja Magica, reaching the fourth round before falling to Jiri Lehecka, missing a chance to grab his 100th Masters 1000 quarter-final.
The king of clay suffered early losses in Rome and Paris, experiencing his shortest Roland Garros campaign after falling to Alexander Zverev in the first round.
Rafa stopped the clock in Bastad, defeating four rivals and collecting his first ATP final in over two years. The veteran fell to Nuno Borges in straight sets, losing steam and missing a chance to add the last ATP title to his tally.
Nadal returned to Roland Garros for the Olympic Games in Paris, passing the first obstacle before falling to Novak Djokovic in their 60th encounter on the Tour. Rafa skipped the US Open and Laver Cup before announcing his retirement, entering the Six Kings Slam and Davis Cup Finals before ending his incredible career.
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"What an amazing career to the best fighter out there. I was super honored to have a chance to play against you. We will all miss you, Rafa," Darwin Blanch wrote.
