There’s no greater incentive than savouring every shot, every point and every celebration with the complicity of the Madrid fans as if it were the last. This is Rafael Nadal’s mindset at this year’s Mutua Madrid Open, which he has already regaled with two unexpected episodes. On Monday he will be hoping to carve out a new bonus track.

The five-time champion in the Spanish capital will await Pedro Cachín in the Manolo Santana Stadium, not before 16:00. He will be vying for another memorable afternoon like the two he enjoyed against Darwin Blanch (6-1, 6-0) and Alex de Minaur (7-6[6], 6-3).

Expect to witness the symbiosis between Nadal and the 12,000 people who have been cheering him on for his last dance in the Caja Mágica, including his family. The normal entourage of his parents, his sister and his wife are this year joined by Rafa junior who, despite his young age, is always attentive in the stands.

It is in this extraordinary atmosphere that Nadal and Cachín will lock horns for the first time. Their duel will provide both players with a chance to up their games at this MMOPEN. While the 22-time Grand Slam champion bids to extend his run and rediscover his A-game, the man from Cordoba is also on a quest for form.

The current world No. 91 arrived at the Masters 1000 in Spain on the back of fifteen straight first-round defeats on the ATP Tour. His wins over Austria’s Sebastian Ofner (6-3, 6-3) and US player Frances Tiafoe (7-6[1], 3-6, 6-4) mean that Cachín now has a chance to get his ranking heading back in the right direction; in 2023 he was a member of the world’s Top 50.