VIDEO Rafael Nadal says “goodbye” to the Madrid tournament – Eliminated in the round of 16 from the 31st place ATP

​Rafael Nadal played for the last time at the Madrid Open, a tournament he won five times in his career, the Spaniard being defeated in the round of 16 by Jiri Lehecka, score 7-5, 6-4.

Rafael Nadal, defeated by Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16 at the Madrid Masters

Although Rafa played at the highest level in many moments, Lehecka (31 ATP) managed to make the difference with two breaks: one at the end of the first set (at 5-5) and one in the first game of the second set. The game lasted two hours and two minutes.

Rafa, who has already stated that the 2024 season will likely be the last of his career, missed out on reaching the quarter-finals of an ‘ATP Masters 1000’ tournament for the 100th time.

In front of 13,000 spectators, Rafa found the strength to joke and tried to relax the atmosphere with a joke: “Come on, I was joking, see you next year!”

“I’m happy. It was a very special week for me, very positive in every way. I was able to play again on a field that offered me a lot, including on an emotional level.

It was unforgettable and I can only say ‘thank you’. It was an incredible journey. It is very difficult, but life and my body have been sending me signals for a long time. I was lucky enough to turn my passion into a job. I am privileged” – Rafael Nadal.

As Rafa’s wife and sister wept in the stands, Caja Magica organizers showed a video of the great champion’s highlights and unfurled five banners, one for each title Nadal won in Madrid (2005, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017).

Rafa received a trophy from Feliciano Lopez, the director of the tournament in Madrid, and the great Iberian champion did not forget to mention Ion Țiriac in his speech.

“I want to thank Feli, Ion Țiriac, everyone who made this tournament possible. It’s a pleasant environment, which the next generations will enjoy, for sure. I will thank the family and the team when I retire. But for now I continue” – Rafael Nadal.

Nadal beat Darwin Blanch (16), Alex De Minaur (11 ATP) and Pedro Cachin (91 ATP) in Madrid.

Rafael Nadal will play at ATP Rome – Participation in Roland Garros in doubt

Rafa has revealed that he will take part in the tournament in Rome (May 8-19) but says he does not yet know if he will play at Roland Garros (May 20-June 9).

“I’m still not sure about Roland Garros, I’ve played 4 matches here and I’m leaving Madrid with a much better feeling than when I arrived. It’s hard to have big goals at the level I’m at, but in sports things change quickly.

I will go to Rome and hope to show a better level than here, then I will decide what to do with Roland Garros” – Rafael Nadal.

Lehecka was emotional at the end of the game and talked about how important this moment was for him. The athlete from the Czech Republic will duel in the quarters with the Russian Daniil Medvedev, the third favorite of the competition in Spain.

“It is amazing. For me, sharing the field with such a legendary player is a dream come true. I always wanted this to happen. I am very grateful that I was able to achieve such an important moment.

All the best to Rafa. It’s kind of bittersweet to have such a nice win in front of so many people who cheered him on. The energy was incredible, it was like I was in another universe. It was something I have never experienced before in my life on a tennis court” – Jiri Lehecka.

The Mutua Madrid Open takes place from April 25 to May 5 and is part of the ATP Masters 1000 category. It offers total prizes of 7,877,020 euros, and the en-titre champion is Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz (2022, 2023).