Nadal to face 16-year-old in Madrid opener – when is the match and what’s his draw?

Rafael Nadal continues his clay comeback at the Madrid Open this week.

That was his first clay event since winning the 2022 French Open and he will look for further steps forward in Madrid.

What is Nadal’s draw in Madrid? Who will he play and when will he play? We run through everything you need to know…

The ATP main draw at the Madrid Open starts on Wednesday, April 24.

Nadal will play his first match on either April 24 or April 25.

Nadal is using his protected ranking to enter the Madrid Open so is unseeded.

He will face 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in the first round of the tournament.

If Nadal gets past wildcard Blanch he will face a rematch against Alex de Minaur in the second round.

Frances Tiafoe could await in the third round and then Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas is a potential fourth-round opponent.

Those hoping for another Nadal v Novak Djokovic clash in Madrid were disappointed as the world No. 1 pulled out of the tournament.

Djokovic, who watched El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid on Sunday, has not given an official reason for his withdrawal.

Carlos Alcaraz is in the draw as he looks to overcome an arm injury and win his third Madrid Open in a row.

The world No. 3 hasn’t played since losing in the Miami Open quarter-finals due to injury, missing both Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

He has a first-round bye as the second seed and will open against either Alexander Shevchenko or Arthur Rinderknech.

Lorenzo Musetti could await in the third round, while Holger Rune is seeded to be a quarter-final opponent.

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner will be the top seed at the Madrid Open and could face fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego in his first match.

After several false starts, Nadal’s comeback got up and running in Barcelona.

The main focus remains building up fitness and getting match practice ahead of the French Open, which starts on May 26.

“I have to behave in Madrid according to how I feel,” said Nadal.

“If I can do a week of practice sessions in Madrid with quality players, if I can play sets every day, if my body gets used to that level of competition and I feel I’m ready, then I’ll be able to progress.

“If my body can cope with the progressive load, it’ll help me week after week to be able to try and demand more. I hope so. But that’s the reality. The logical thing would be to take it progressively, to try and take one more step in Madrid. Not in terms of matches, because that depends on the competition. I’ve played very little. But in terms of being able to fight for it a little more in Madrid, then more still in Rome.

“In Paris, then it’s in the lap of the gods. If I’m going to give it a shot, that would be the time to do it. Whatever happens, that is the place.”