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Home-favorite Rafael Nadal returned to the Mutua Madrid Open after two years and dominated his opponent in the first round on Thursday. This drew the attention of five-time Olympic gold medalist and Romanian retired gymnast Nadia Comaneci.
Nadal faced 16-year-old Darwin Blanch in the opener in Madrid and made a winning start at the Manolo Santana Stadium. Blanch made only his second appearance at a major ATP Tour event after receiving a wildcard to the main draw.
Comaneci expressed her excitement about Nadal playing at his home on her X (formerly Twitter) account. She shared a picture of herself and the Spaniard and the caption to the post read:
"Such a pleasure to see you play at home @RafaelNadal @MutualMadridOpen ❤️."
It was indeed a game worth watching. Nadal gained a powerful victory over the 16-year-old with a score of 6-1, 6-0 in 64 minutes. Blanch couldn't handle the weight of Nadal's shots and made 27 unforced errors, including 20 off his forehand.
Rafael Nadal won 77 percent of his service points and faced deuce just twice.
Rafael Nadal speaks up about his win over Darwin Blanch
This was Nadal's sixth match of the season and he delivered an easy win. Rafael Nadal has won the Madrid Open five times. His most recent victory came in 2017 while he won his first title in 2008. The Spaniard said he feels great every time he plays at home, thanks to the crowd support.
"It's great after how things have developed the last few years, every time I have the chance to be on court in this amazing stadium with an unconditional supportive crowd, it means a lot to me."
He added:
"Just trying to enjoy every moment. Tomorrow, one more day of practice here, and then after tomorrow, on court again. That makes me feel great."
Nadal also spoke about Darwin Blanch's performance and his preparation against the 16-year-old.
"I think today I played against an opponent with a great future in front, but today, still making mistakes. I just tried to be there, be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks," he said.
Adding to this, the 37-year-old wished all the luck to Blanch, saying:
"It worked well. I'm happy to be through and I wish him all the very best for the future."
Rafael Nadal will next face 10th-seed Alex de Minaur at the Madrid Open on Saturday.
