As Rafael Nadal prepared to enter the Estadio Manolo Santana for what could have been his final match on home soil, like every one of his matches this week could be, much of the 12,400 capacity crowd filled out the walkway around the stadium. He emerged to a prolonged standing ovation, necks craning to catch a fleeting glimpse of his entrance.
It was a moment. The start of a final homecoming for the greatest athlete from these lands, but it remains to be seen if he has more to give. Against an extremely young opponent out of his depth, Nadal moved into the second round of the Madrid Open with efficiency and ease, dismantling Darwin Blanch – 21 years his junior – 6-1, 6-0 in an hour. “At least two more days,” said Nadal afterwards. “In the end, I’m happy.”
