The first joint ATP/WTA 1000 event of the clay season is underway in Madrid.  Thursday features first round ATP matches, and second round WTA action.

In the absence of Novak Djokovic, who withdrew from Madrid for “non-medical reasons,” Italy’s Jannik Sinner is the top seed at a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career.  He is joined atop the ATP singles draw by two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.  But on Thursday, five-time champ Rafael Nadal is the headliner, as he plays his first match at the Madrid Open in two years, and just his sixth match across the past 15 months.

Three-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek is the top seed in the women’s singles draw , though she’s yet to win this event.  Iga lost in the final a year ago to the second seed, Aryna Sabalenka, who has won this tournament twice within the last three years.  But the WTA’s hottest player right now is Elena Rybakina, coming off her third title of the season last week in Stuttgart, where she beat Swiatek in the semifinals.

Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule.  Thursday’s play gets underway at 11:00am local time.

Naomi Osaka vs. Liudmila Samsonova (15) – Not Before 12:30pm on Manolo Santana Stadium

It feels quite odd seeing Osaka compete on anything but a hard court.  This is only her 43^rd main draw WTA match on this surface.  She’s been open regarding how uncomfortable she feels on clay, evident in her 4-6 record since 2020.  On Tuesday, Naomi won her first clay court match since this same event in 2022, defeating Greet Minnen 6-4, 6-1.

Samsonova is currently a top 20 player, but has performed far from that level in 2024, with a record of just 4-9 on the year.  She arrives in Madrid on a four-match losing streak, with one of those losses coming against Osaka, last month in Indian Wells.  And like Naomi, clay is not Liudmila’s strongest surface, as she owns a losing record on clay in her career.

Osaka’s 7-5, 6-3 victory last month in Indian Wells is their only prior encounter.  And with Samsonova currently lacking in confidence, I like Naomi’s chances of earning back-to-back wins on clay for the first time since 2019.

Darwin Blanch (WC) vs. Rafael Nadal (PR) – Not Before 5:00pm on Manolo Santana Stadium

Nadal is 54-11 lifetime at his home country’s biggest tournament, where during one span he reached the final in nine out of 11 years.  But sadly the current version of Rafa is far from that level, as his physical limitations have only allowed him to play three events since January of 2023.  When speaking to the press on Wednesday, he expressed continued frustration regarding his injuries, and doubts regarding whether he will compete at Roland Garros. 

Last week in Barcelona, he defeated Flavio Cobolli in straight sets, before losing to Alex de Minaur in straights after a highly-competitive first sets.  His opponent on Thursday in Madrid is a 16-year-old American who trains alongside Carlos Alcaraz at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy.  Much is expected of Darwin Blanch, though this is just his second ATP-level match.  Last month in Miami, he lost his first to Tomas Machac.

In what could easily be Nadal’s last appearance in the Madrid Open, Rafa is a slight favorite against the relatively unknown and untested newcomer.  Blanch has a big game, but stepping onto a clay court against The King of Clay is one of tennis’ most intimidating premises, regardless of Nadal’s current form.  And Rafa will of course have a loud and passionate stadium full of Spaniards behind him.

Other Notable Matches on Thursday:

Donna Vekic vs. Maria Sakkari (5) – Sakkari is now 11-3 since hiring David Witt as her new coach, and advanced to the semifinals last year in Madrid.  Vekic is a modest 10-8 this season, but is 6-3 lifetime against Sakkari at all levels.

Coco Gauff (3) vs. Arantxa Rus – While Gauff is 19-6 on the year, she’s just 3-3 in Madrid, and has never been beyond the third round.  This is her first meeting with Rus, who defeated Brenda Fruhvirtova in straight sets on Tuesday.

Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Xiyu Wang – Swiatek is 26-4 in 2024, with two WTA titles (Doha, Indian Wells).  Xiyu was a finalist earlier this year in Austin, and survived an over three-hour three-setter in the first round over Ana Bogdan.

Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.

Rafael Nadal has admitted that he will not play Roland Garros if he feels the way he does today.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is set to play his third tournament of the season in Madrid as he is set to say farewell to tennis this season.

However before saying goodbye to the sport, Nadal would love one last triumph at Roland Garros a tournament that he has won on 14 different occasions.

That achievement could be one of Nadal’s greatest ever titles considering the Spaniard’s current physical state.

Last week, Nadal said farewell to Barcelona with a second round defeat to Alex De Minaur after a win over Flavio Cobolli in the opening round.

Once again in Madrid Nadal could face Alex De Minaur in the second round should the former world number one defeat 16 year-old Darwin Blanch.

Speaking ahead of the tournament in Madrid Nadal made a big warning explaining that participation at Roland Garros is by no means guaranteed, “If I arrive Paris the way I feel today, I will not play,” Nadal was quoted by tennisuptodate.com as saying.

“I will play Roland Garros if I feel competitive. If I can play, I play. If I can’t play, I can’t. It won’t be the end of the world or the end of my career. I still got goals after Roland Garros, like the Olympics.”

This is a huge statement by Nadal as he is prioritising sustainability as opposed to a fairytale farewell.

Before Nadal can think about a 15th Roland Garros title, the Spaniard will look to claim another title at the Caja Magica.

Ahead of his bid for a sixth title in the Spanish capital Nadal admits he isn’t 100% fit and is taking it one match at a time, “I don’t think I will be able to play at 100%, but it means a lot to me to play in Madrid for one last time in my career. It’s a special place and court for me,” Nadal explained.

“I’m a calm person. Nobody has to ask me about tributes. They will do what they wanna do and I’m okay with that.”

Nadal will begin his Mutua Madrid Open campaign on Thursday.

Rafael Nadal has eased speculation that he might be retiring from the sport soon after signing on to play in the Laver Cup later this year. 

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is the latest player to join the line-up for this year’s team competition which features Europe taking on the rest of the world over three days. It will be Nadal’s fourth appearance in the competition and his first since 2022. He competed in the inaugural edition of the event back in 2017 alongside co-founder Roger Federer. 

“I am very happy to be playing Laver Cup in Berlin for Team Europe,” Nadal said in a press release. “I have some really special memories from my Laver Cup experiences, including all the emotions from London two years ago playing alongside Roger for the last time.”

Nadal’s decision to play comes amid questions about his future in the sport. The former world No.1 has previously indicated that this year could be his last on the Tour but he has stated that no decision has been made. In recent months he has been sidelined from action due to injury setbacks and has only been able to play in two tournaments so far this year. 

“At this stage in my career I really want to go out there and make the most of every opportunity I am given,” he explains.
“Teaming up is always an incredible experience and I have always enjoyed it, the competition is different and exciting. I’m looking forward to going to Berlin and helping Team Europe win back the Laver Cup.”

Other European players confirmed to be playing are Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul have agreed to play for Team World. This year’s event will be held in Belin at the Uber Arena between September 20-22. 

The Laver Cup was inspired by golf’s Ryder Cup. It was co-founded by Federer’s Team8 management company (which he formed with agent Tony Godsick), businessman Jorge Paulo Lemann and Tennis Australia. In 2019 it became an official ATP sanction event and now has a place on the official calendar. 

Nadal is set to return to competitive action at the Madrid Masters which he has won on five previous occasions. He has been drawn to play teenage wild card Darwin Blanch in the first round. If he wins, Nadal will then play Alex de Minaur who knocked him out of the Barcelona Open last week.