Alex de Minaur is set for a second battle royal with the king of clay in the space of a week as the Madrid Open draw offered up the tantalising opportunity for the Australian No.1 to earn a rare double over Rafael Nadal.
The pair will meet in the second round of the Masters 1000 event should Nadal, on his comeback from injury after three months on the sidelines, swat aside the 1028th-ranked American wildcard Darwin Blanch in his opener. De Minaur has been given a first-round bye.
The 16-year-old Blanch was amazed to hear of his draw, reflecting like any wide-eyed teenager might as he declared on social media: "Guys I play Nadal wtf"