Rafael Nadal might have been the only person not to shed a tear as he bowed out of the Madrid Open.
The Spaniard played what is likely to be his last match at the tournament, where he is a five-time champion, after he was beaten 7-5 6-4 by Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round.
Five banners were unveiled, bearing the years of each of his titles in the Spanish capital (2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017), and he was then shown a video of his Madrid highlights over the years. Nadal was visibly emotional, but refused to cry, although the same could not be said for some members of his camp, as his wife and sister were seen shedding tears in the stands. While the 38-year-old admitted he was touched by the crowd’s emotional response, he joked that he was less moved by his loved ones’ tearfulness. He told his post-match press conference:
“It gives me great personal satisfaction. When people get excited, they don’t just get excited about the sporting issue. “It will be because I also assume that I have done things well, not just with the racket in hand. I hope that I have behaved appropriately almost always.” Nadal then said of his family, laughing: “That people in my family cry… it’s normal. 3 Nadal’s mother, sister and wife were all in the crowd at Madrid as they watched on emotionally Credit: Getty 3 The sporting legend thanked his home crowd for their support after being given a touching post-match ceremonyCredit: Getty “Even if I had behaved horribly, I suppose they would cry too, because they have a different affection for me than the people around me.
” The all-time great had paid tribute to his home supporters after the match with a farewell speech on court. He said: “It’s been a gift what you’ve done for me during the 21 years that I’ve played here. All I can say is thank you.” Nadal also revealed the tournament’s special place in his heart, having first tasted success at the clay court event in 2005, aged just 19.
The Majorca-born legend expressed his gratitude: “I was able to say goodbye playing on this court, one of the most emotional ones for me. “Madrid at times has been more important to me than a Grand Slam. The memories here will stay with me forever.”
