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 “capable enough 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 to play once more on the skilled tour.
The French Open, the place Nadal is a document 14-time champion, begins on 26 Might.
“Taking part in right here has all the time been an enormous pleasure and the help is troublesome to explain in phrases,” Nadal informed Sky Sports activities.
“I simply loved the very fact I used to be capable of go on the market another time, and victory provides me the prospect 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 additionally 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.