MADRID (AP) — After losing in the Madrid Open’s fourth round, Rafael Nadal had to take a little break to address the audience, looking extremely upset.
After losing 7-5, 6-4 to the 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday, the five-time champion in Madrid gave a farewell speech to the crowd amid cries of “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa.”
It was perhaps the final game he would play in the competition in the Spanish capital.
When the day comes, it will be challenging, but that is life. For a while now, my life and my body had been giving me signals,” Nadal remarked. “Playing on this court allowed me to say farewell, and it was one of the more emotional ones for me. I’ve occasionally valued Madrid more than a Grand Slam. I will always cherish the memories I have from here.
Following the match, the five banners representing Nadal’s titles in Madrid—2005, ’10, ’13, ’14, and ’17—were unfurled by the tournament organizers. In the stands, his sister and wife were shedding tears as they watched a DVD of his best moments.
“What you’ve done for me over the 21 years I’ve played here has been a gift,” said the 37-year-old Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion. “I’m just able to say thank you.”
Ever since losing to Pablo Cuevas in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Rafael Nadal had not suffered a defeat on clay against a player rated outside the top 20. He was going for his 60th career victory in Madrid and his 100th career ATP 1000 quarterfinal.
Earlier, Carlos Alcaraz—the man who Spanish supporters believe could end Rafael Nadal’s dominance—needed almost three hours to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4).
Both Spaniards are recovering from injuries and attempting to get back into fitness for the French Open, which takes place next month. Alcaraz, who is 20 years old, was absent from competitions in Barcelona and Monte Carlo. Nadal has not played competitively in almost three months, having missed two matches in Barcelona.
Though he expressed concern about his health upon arriving in Madrid, he went on to win three straight games without displaying any obvious physical limits.
Nadal stated, “I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to play again in an official match just two days before I left for Barcelona, and in the end, I’ve played for two weeks.”
Despite having won two games with ease in Madrid, Alcaraz, ranked second, had trouble on Tuesday. Serving at 5-3 against the 24th-ranked Struff, he wasted four match opportunities, but he converted on his opening shot in the decisive tiebreaker at the Caja Magica center court.
“Towards the end of the game, I wasn’t feeling my best physically, but I’m glad I found my game,” Alcaraz remarked. “Even though there were some challenging times when things didn’t go my way, I battled for every ball and never gave up.”
Alcaraz is attempting to make history as the first player to win the Madrid Open three times in a row. In the previous year’s final, he too required three sets to defeat Struff. In the clay-court competition, the world No. 3 will next take on Andrey Rublev, who is ranked seventh.
first-placed Jannick Sinner advanced to the Madrid quarterfinals for the first time, defeating 16th-seeded Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. At each of the four ATP 1000 events this season, he is the only player to have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Sinner remarked, “I made a few mistakes in the first set when he broke me, but this can happen.” I made an effort to concentrate throughout the second set. I broke him right away, and his confidence level somewhat increased.
RALLIES OF SWIATEK
highest ranked For the second year in a row, Iga Swiatek defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 to go to the semifinals.
Swiatek lost the first set despite trailing 4-1, but in the second and third sets, he took command of the match.
After dropping the first eight games of the match, eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur was defeated 0-6, 7-5, 6-1 by the 18th-seeded American Madison Keys.
The only prestigious European clay tournament that Swiatek hasn’t yet won is the Madrid Open.
MEDVEDEV SUMMITS
Alexander Bublik gave the third-seeded Daniil Medvedev a rough time, but Medvedev prevailed 7-6 (3), 6-4 to set up a showdown against Lehecka.
“I ran for a lot of drop shots, and in the end, I got so tired,” Medvedev remarked. That’s when you start to play a little worse and lose focus. But he told me he was dead too, after the match. Well, that’s excellent for me—at least I wasn’t alone.
World No. 8 Rublev defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-4, and No. 22 Francisco Cerundolo defeated two-time champion Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4 to set up a match against Taylor Fritz, who defeated Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (2), 6-4.
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