American teenager Darwin Blanch will play just the second ATP Tour match of his career against Rafael Nadal on Thursday at just 16 years old in the Madrid Open first round.Nadal was also 16 when he played the event in the Spanish capital for the first time, in 2003, four years before Blanch was born.
Emma Raducanu’s unpredictable season continued to swing from lows to highs and back again as she went down by a 6-2, 6-2 scoreline in the first round of the Madrid Open to Maria Lourdes Carle, a 24-year-old Argentine with just one previous WTA Tour victory to her name.
Former world number one Rafael Nadal conceded on Wednesday his farewell tour was not proceeding to plan but his wish to compete one last time at cherished tournaments such as the French Open where he has claimed 14 titles was pushing him through the pain barrier. The Spaniard will continue his comeback from injury at the Madrid Masters on Thursday where he is scheduled to play the American 16-year-old Darwin Blanch who has been given an invitation to play in the main draw at one of the most pres