Rafael Nadal defeated Alex De Minaur 7–6, 6–3 at the Madrid Masters on clay in the first round, upsetting the pre-match favourite in the process. De Minaur entered as the odds-on favourite at 1.63, but Nadal, available at 2.42, proved too composed on his preferred surface. The first set remained competitive, extending to a tiebreak before Nadal secured it; the second set saw a clear shift in momentum as the Spaniard broke down De Minaur's resistance to claim a commanding second-set victory. Nadal's return to form on clay continues to build ahead of the French Open.