“Legit thought that was Ben Shelton”: Fans react after seeing Rafael Nadal’s first-round opponent at Madrid Open
ATPTuesday, 23 April 2024 at 10:40
Fans on the social media made some interesting commentating
after seeing Rafael Nadal’s first round opponent at the Madrid Open. The
37-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s
tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.
The Madrid Open is set to begin from Wednesday where Nadal
will face America’s Darwin Blanch in the round of 128. The 16-year-old looks
very similar to fellow American Ben Shelton which was acknowledged by the
current world number 15 as well. Fans on the social media made some interesting
comments as well. "Legit thought that was Ben Shelton when I opened up my
feed this morning," a fan wrote. "Shelton from amazon," another fan
wrote.
Nadal will be coming into the competition after having a rather
disappointing outing in the recently concluded Barcelona Open where he lost in the
round of 32 to Australia’s Alex de Minaur with a score of 7-5, 6-1. On the
other hand, Blanch’s previous outing was in the ITF Spain F11 event where he
was knocked out of the competition after losing in the semifinal to Spain’s Diego
Augusto Barreto Sanchez in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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- I love WTA matches. Seek them out as much as possible on youtube and other platforms I already subscribe to. With that in mind, I do not wish to pay $$$ to a notoriously slippery subscription conglomerate sports broadcaster (like SkySports) just for the privilege to watch it and the tnt/eurosport/discovery subscription went from $$ to $$$+ annually in a blink of an eye. With ATP I have been begrudgingly paying xyz tennis only channel and try to catch up on slams elsewhere (pubs, youtube with USO later on games are just as enjoyable to watch and a smart move to upload on their official channel) but they don't cover WTA. I tried another Tennis dedicated channel that advertised originally as broadcasting where I live, but turned out, they took the money, but didn't cover the matches (only fluff/filler value documentaries). I don't understand why it is so hard to not lock the live matches to one broadcaster only refusing so many people who are happy to pay for the privilege just not through that one entry point. WTA is so exciting for the last few years and they really should capitalise on it as much as possible. And I know it is somewhat naive talking without knowing the inner works, but not being able to find any WTA other than youtube (and then only highlights mostly) is just so frustrating.JayJay11-09-2026
- Clearly not AI :-)
AceOfBase11-09-2026 - Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
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- No one else would get away with this but these AMERCANS! It’s the US Open!! In America!! But sure, go off American ;)DaveyWavey08-09-2026
- WOW !!! Her comebacks have been intense. She's Baaaaack!
mandoist08-09-2026 - Don't lay this shitshow on "Americans". It is a long-running Ego trip with WTA allowing these two Elitists 'in need of a Camera' illicit Wildcards. If these two clowns want to "perform" -- then play the qualies.mandoist08-09-2026
- Here we go again…. Different rules for Americans! Especially THESE Americans. Yuck!DaveyWavey07-09-2026
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