Galo Blanco is the new face this year in Dominic Thiem's team. The Spanish coach started to follow the Austrian player in January 2018, and this week he is in Barcelona as Thiem returns to the event as the defending finalist.

Dominic has to defend 1,980 points on clay this season. Are they worried? 'No. In truth, I am not worried for the points he has to defend, but I get worried for the points he has been earning in the year and the work we are doing', Blanco assured in an interview to Punto de Break.

'The injury he had in Indian Wells didn't help, he stopped for almost five weeks. We weren't thinking of heading to Monte Carlo, we went there despite he wasn't at 100%. There we won a couple of good matches, but then Rafa was better and for me it was normal.' Rafael Nadal is the main favourite in this part of the season.

Can someone do something against him? Not much. You have to do something, but it's very complicated. He has won Roland Garros 10 times, he will definitely win [Barcelona] 11 times. If he has a bad day you have to take advantage of it, but if he hasn't you will not beat him.' Can be the no.

2 player on clay after Nadal? 'When he is doing well physically it's very difficult for the other players to beat him (Thiem), but then you have people like (Grigor) Dimitrov, (Novak) Djokovic or (Stan) Wawrinka that are at the same as him.' ALSO READ: Novak Djokovic: 'I wouldn't be here if I wasn't prepared to face Nadal'