‘Emotional’ Nadal knocked out of Madrid Open
MADRID (AFP) — Jiri Lehecka broke home hearts on Tuesday as he put an end to Rafael Nadal’s run at the Madrid Open, on the Spaniard’s final appearance at the Masters 1000 tournament.
The 30th-seeded Lehecka defeated Nadal 7-5, 6-4 to advance to a last-eight meeting with Daniil Medvedev, and deny the five-time champion the chance to become the first man in history to reach 100 Masters 1000 quarterfinals.
This was Nadal’s first defeat on clay to a player ranked outside the top 20 since 2016 and it marked the end of his storied career in Madrid, where he owns the most wins (59) and titles (five) in tournament history.
“I’m happy. It was a very special week for me, very positive and very emotional. I had the opportunity to play one more time here on this court,” said Nadal on court.
Nadal hasn’t decided exactly when he’d be hanging up his racquet this season but the 22-time Grand Slam winner’s retirement is fast approaching.
Numerous physical issues have hampered him over the past two years and he will make the call on whether he will compete at Roland Garros later this month.
Lehecka and Nadal were neck and neck for the first 10 games of the contest on Tuesday before the 22-year-old Czech made his move breaking at love and then holding at love to scoop the opening set in just under an hour.
Nadal dropped serve at the start of the second and never recovered as the tournament bid farewell to its greatest champion.
A special ceremony was held at Manolo Santana Stadium after the match, with banners suspended above the stands with the words “Gracias Rafa” signifying the years in which he won the Madrid tournament.
“This was a joke because I’ll be back next year,” joked Nadal, his family watching on from the stands. “All I can say is thank you to everyone that has helped me in my career. It hasn’t finished yet. It has been a gift what you’ve given me here. The emotion that I get from this experience in Madrid, from the Spanish public… I was lucky as a kid to do the job that I love. I feel super fortunate to have lived the life that I’ve lived. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Lehecka, through to the second Masters 1000 quarterfinal of his career, said it felt “bittersweet” to beat Nadal in his last-ever match in Madrid. “It’s amazing for me, to share the court with such a legendary player is a dream come true,” said Lehecka.
“I always believed and always wished to have this happen. All the best to Rafa, it’s kind of bittersweet to have such a nice win in front of all these people, everyone cheering for him. The energy here was amazing and I’m happy to be through.”