Nadal started with a convincing victory at the Madrid Masters

Former world number one Rafael Nadal kicked off with a victory at the Masters in the capital of Spain, Madrid.

In the first-round match, the legendary Spaniard decisively defeated 16 years old American player Darwin Blanch in straight sets - 6:1, 6:0.

Within just over an hour on the court, Nadal delivered two aces and did not commit a single double fault.

In the next round, the winner of this match will face the 10th seeded Australian, Alex de Minaur, on April 26. This will mark the second meeting between these tennis players within two weeks.

It was previously announced that Nadal will represent Team Europe in the Laver Cup this September in Berlin. Last week, Rafa competed in the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona, where he was eliminated in the round of 16, coincidentally by de Minaur.

ATP 1000 Madrid
1st Round
Darwin Blanch (USA) - Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 1:6, 0:6