By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday April 27, 2024

Rafael Nadal took a giant step in the appropriate path on Saturday on the Madrid Masters, upending Eleventh-ranked Alex de Minaur for his first Top 20 win since 2022 and displaying among the classic type that he has change into recognized for on his beloved purple clay.

The legendary King of Clay was hopeful after his 7-6(6), 6-3 win over De Minaur, but in addition reasonable concerning the difficulties he feels he's nonetheless dealing with because the clock ticks and Roland-Garros approaches.

“It's not about playing better, playing worse,” Nadal informed reporters in Madrid. “It's about going on court with real hope. Then anything can happen. But before the tournament [I need to] have the hope that I can play and I can play for … a few days in a row fighting for the balls that I need to fight to be through.

“If I have this hope, I am gonna be on court. If I know before the tournament that my body will not hold for the whole tournament, I will not be on court. That's the way that I see it.”

DON RAFAEL NADAL PARERA. 👑@RafaelNadal #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/zrGr5HXtlC

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 27, 2024

Nadal has performed 4 matches since he restarted his season after tearing a muscle in January at Brisbane, and has elevated his degree step-by-step. Today he was in high quality type, and energized by an emotional crowd as he got here by what very nicely might have been his final match on dwelling soil.

Cautious – and cautiously optimistic – 37-year-old Nadal will proceed to learn the tea leaves and hope for excellent news from his physique. It’s all he can do in the intervening time.

“Every day is a test, and because I am going through things that I haven't gone through for almost two years, that's the thing,” Nadal stated. “In some way, that's why I can't always be super positive, because if I know that my body will hold well today, gonna be a super-happy day, because it will have been a step forward, and step forward is always super important.

“But for me it's more important to know that after today is more about winning or losing. It is [about] if I can go on court and try to do something similar today or just fight for the match again. That's the thing. And I can't be sure about that, because today was the most important test since I came back.”

Five-time Madrid champion Nadal will face Argentina’s Pedro Cachin within the third spherical.

Content Source: www.tennisnow.com