World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from Madrid removes a major obstacle from Rafael Nadal's path in his quest to defend his Madrid title.
In Djokovic's absence, Roger Federer will be the top seed.
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Nadal, who has reached the Madrid final in five of the last six years, has been practicing daily at the Caja Magica, including one session with Fernando Verdasco, who knocked Nadal out of Miami.
The four-time Madrid champion said he's hoping to regain his form and confidence at the tournament.
"[Madrid] is where I get the biggest amount of support in the world and I’ve had some of my most emotional victories there,” Nadal told Eurosport.
Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open