Blanch is at the other end of the spectrum, and his reaction to drawing Nadal after being given a wildcard into the Madrid Open was telling, as he posted himself pulling a shocked expression on social media with the caption: “Guys I play Nadal wtf.”
The American will be completely familiar with Nadal’s popularity, particularly in front of Spanish support, having selected the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Alicante as his training base. There, he occasionally hits alongside two-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, who delivered a message to him earlier this week.
“Well I’ve practised with him a few times in the academy,” said the 20-year-old. “I know that he has good tennis, he plays really well at his age. I told him just to enjoy the moment, I told him that this moment is going to be really helpful to his career, that it was really important to mine when I faced him in 2021 the first time.”
