Following his early exit from the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Rafael Nadal is already practicing in Madrid for the upcoming Mutua Madrid Open. The second of three clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments begins next Wednesday.
Nadal’s appearance in Barcelona marked his first official ATP tournament since Brisbane in January. The 37-year-old Spaniard defeated Flavio Cobolli in his comeback match before falling to Alex de Minaur in the second round.
Nadal could be joined in the Madrid field by countryman Carlos Alcaraz. The world No. 3 withdrew from both Monte-Carlo and Barcelona due to a right-arm injury, but he hopes to be ready for Madrid. Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion of the tournament.
“It’s not something I’m thinking about right now,” the 20-year-old said of a three-peat. “At the moment I just want to enjoy the tournament, prepare well and give my all from the first match. Then we’ll see if we can go a long way.
“Playing in Madrid is playing at home. It’s a very special and amazing fortnight. I’m lucky because I have a lot of support when I play overseas, anywhere in the world, but the support I get here is incomparable. I’d say because of my style of play the altitude in Madrid benefits me. I really like playing here.”
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