Lindsay Davenport has been chatting with Andy Roddick about the future of Darwin Blanch.
After all, this 16-year-old has dominated the headlines of late, having been gifted his entry into the Madrid Open rather inexplicably, and then drawing Rafael Nadal in the first round.
Unsurprisingly, he did not trouble the 37-year-old, but it has certainly put Blanch’s name on the map somewhat.
However, Davenport has revealed how he might have shot to fame far earlier, had his team not made a key call.
Lindsay Davenport delivers verdict on Darwin Blanch
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the former WTA world number one was rather complimentary when discussing Blanch, even revealing some insider information.
After all, the rise of this teenager to prominence has been meteoric, cemented by his clash with Nadal earlier this week.
Whilst it was a whitewash, it was indicative of how far he has already come in such a short space of time.
However, Davenport revealed that he could have actually gone further were it not for his team keeping him grounded, as she noted: ‘Amazing kid, talk about a gentleman. He is a super kind soul, great kid. Every single kid in the juniors is cheering for him, that kind of tells you how well-liked he is.
‘It was really funny, last year he played in an U18s tournament and he was just 15, he lost in the quarters. The winner got a main draw wildcard but the USTA they know that he’s something special. They offered him a US Open qualifier wild card. And it was actually announced that he was taking it.
‘And it was his team, and I would assume Juan Carlos Ferrero that said ‘No, you’re not accepting a qualification wildcard at the US Open, you’re not ready’. That’s the message that I got, whether that was from Juan Carlos or someone else on his team, they deemed Darwin not ready for the US Open qualifiers.’
Perhaps too much too soon for Darwin Blanch
Having only made his first foray into the senior ATP circuit this year, it does feel like a bit of a whirlwind for Blanch.
Especially given the calibre of competitions he has chosen to play in, first featuring in Miami, where he held his own despite losing to Tomas Machac, before his most recent showing in Madrid.
However, these are both Masters 1000 events, and have likely done little to further his development.
Everybody knows how special this kid clearly is, and at 16 to be garnering such interest is impressive.
But it is worth remembering that he is just that; a kid.
Giving him too much too soon would only harm his progression, and entries into prestigious tournaments like Miami, Madrid and the US Open are unlikely to help things.
Just let him play his tennis, developed by Juan Carlos, and make his regular emergence onto the tour when he is ready.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
