With the duo drawn on the same side of the draw at the Madrid Open, Australian Alex de Minaur may have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defeat Rafa Nadal on clay twice in the same season. Last week, de Minaur became the first Australian to upset Nadal on clay, capping his tennis comeback at the Barcelona Open.
Nadal won his first professional match since the Brisbane International, defeating Flavio Cobolli in straight sets. However, his recovery was short-lived, as the in-form de Minaur overcame his own clay-court struggles to destroy Nadal in just the second round.
The 14-time Roland Garros champion was out of practice, having made 42 unforced errors to 11 wins. He even stopped to celebrate an unbelievable de Minaur forehand at one point, demonstrating the disparity between the two competitors’ current positions.
Nadal is preparing for a run at Roland Garros, but he may face another obstacle when he faces de Minaur in the second round of the Madrid Open. The 37-year-old Spaniard will meet American Darwin Blanch in the opening round. The 16-year-old is ranked World No.1028 and claimed he was surprised to be matched against the tennis legend in the first round.
If Nadal advances past the American, he will face de Minaur in the second round, with the Australian receiving a bye in the first round. De Minaur will have the unusual opportunity to clinch the clay double over Nadal in a single week. Nadal, who has played so little tennis this year, will want to spend as much time on the court as possible before Roland Garros.
