Nadal doesn’t exactly scare everyone. Announcement of the 91st place ATP in Madrid: “I can afford to aim high!”

Rafael Nadal arrived in Madrid after his second-round home defeat in Barcelona without much confidence, but thanks to the draw, the Spaniard met an opponent 21 years his junior in the opening round at the Caja Magica. The “Matador” had no emotions in the match with Darwin Blanch, whom he defeated 6-1, 6-0.

The duel between Cachin and Nadal was scheduled today for 17.00 on the central court. The Argentine, who has already faced Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, announces that he will enter the court with a lot of confidence, thinking about the current level of the Spaniard: “It’s one of the goals of a tennis player’s life. I played Djokovic last year at Wimbledon. To play Rafa is of course a dream. I’ve been watching him since, I don’t know since 2005, I think it was the first Roland Garros.

I remember watching him one Sunday in bed, and now it’s my turn to play against him… I’m dreading this match, sure, but I’ve had time to really think about what I I want for this duel. I think today is at a level that allows us to at least play to try to win. So if you tell me I’m playing Nadal from five years ago, then I say: ‘Look, I’m not going to win’. That happened to me last year with Djokovic. I didn’t come to win, I came to play. Today I think against Rafa I can aim high”.