Happy and sad about Nadal in Madrid

Rafael Nadal bids farewell in Madrid. Even though he was eliminated in the fourth round, he was satisfied with his performance.

AP PHOTO/MANU FERNANDEZ

Rafael Nadal waved to the audience after losing to Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid tournament on Wednesday (1/5/2024) early morning in Western Indonesia Time. This marks Nadal's farewell match in Madrid.

MADRID, TUESDAY — Rafael Nadal's steps at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid tournament were finally stopped by Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round. Nadal felt joy and sadness because the four rounds he played this year were his last appearance at the Madrid Masters.

Since the beginning, the tournament committee has prepared a farewell event for the Spanish tennis player. The brief event finally took place on Tuesday evening local time or early Wednesday (1/5/2024) morning Indonesia time, after Nadal lost with a score of 5-7, 4-6 to Lehecka.

Nadal was choked up several times when expressing his feelings in front of around 13,000 spectators at the Manolo Santana Stadium, La Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain. He tried to control his emotions and also waited for the singing of "Rafa, Rafa, Rafa" from the audience to stop.

Also read: Winning Second Round, Nadal Welcomed as Champion

The tournament committee then brought down five banners featuring Nadal's photos in which he held the trophies he won from the Madrid Masters in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017. A footage of his performance in Madrid was also aired, causing his wife, Maria Francisca, and Nadal's sister, Maria Isabel, to cry in the team tribune.

"When today finally arrived, it felt very difficult, but this is the reality that must be faced. My body and life have given many signs. I am glad to say goodbye by competing. Madrid is a tournament that is more important to me than Grand Slam. Memories from this tournament will be remembered forever. I can only say thank you," he said.

AFP/THOMAS COEX

Rafael Nadal's family watched the match between Nadal and Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid tournament on Wednesday (1/5/2024) early morning WIB.

The Madrid Masters has become one of the farewell tournaments for Nadal. He plans to retire in 2024, although he has not announced the end point of his 23-year journey as a professional tennis player. Injuries that 37-year-old tennis player frequently experiences, including hip injuries throughout 2023, have signaled his readiness to step away from competition.

The Madrid Masters tournament, held on clay court, is one of the warm-up events leading to the French Open Grand Slam besides the Monte Carlo Masters, ATP 500 Barcelona, and Roma Masters. He was absent in Monte Carlo, lost in the second round in Barcelona, and plans to compete in Rome.

Also read: Step by Step, Nadal is on his way to the finish

Although he had to end his journey in Madrid since his debut in 2003, he still sees the good side of his performance since last weekend. "I was able to play four matches, some of them at a high level and won three times. I leave Madrid with positive energy," he said.

One of the tennis players he defeated was the eighth-seeded Australian, Alex de Minaur, in the second round. The victory was a revenge for Nadal's defeat to De Minaur in Barcelona. In the following round, Nadal survived the match for three hours.

All those moments were positive for him, considering that he was initially pessimistic about winning, even in just one match. Before appearing in the first round, Nadal explained that his physical condition changed quickly from day to day. Therefore, he could not confirm his participation in a tournament far in advance, including competing in the French Open, which will take place from May 26th to June 9th.

In a press conference after being defeated by Lehecka, Nadal only mentioned that he intends to participate in the Roma Masters from May 8th to 19th. The tournament has been won by Nadal 10 times. Other events that have given him 10 or more titles include Monte Carlo Masters (11), ATP 500 Barcelona (12), and the French Open (14).

AFP/THOMAS COEX

Rafael Nadal returned the ball while playing against Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, early morning on Wednesday (1/5/2024) Indonesian Western Time.

"Rome is a special tournament in my career. I actually want to play in all tournaments that offer many titles once again. I want to give myself a chance to be competitive and play well. I am working hard to make it happen, even though I have missed Monte Carlo," Nadal said.

When Nadal's journey in Madrid ends, the home public hopes to see the success of another host representative, Carlos Alcaraz. This 20 year old tennis player defeated the player he defeated in the final in Madrid 2023, Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4).

Also read: Nadal's enthusiasm is not commensurate with his frail body

Alcaraz appeared with an injury to his right arm which forced him to miss Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Ultimately, Alcaraz was still able to withstand a match against Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals that will take place on Wednesday.

"I played with a not-so-great physical condition, but I am happy because in the end, I was able to overcome the challenge. I fought to return every shot and didn't give up," said the second-seeded tennis player.

The victories of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner keep alive the possibility of a match-up between the top two seeds in the final. Sinner defeated Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 and will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the third seed, Daniil Medvedev, will play against Lehecka.

Swiatek got up

For the first time in four WTA 1000 Madrid matches, the world number one women's singles player, Iga Swiatek, played in three games. The tennis player who forced him to play three games was Beatriz Haddad Maia. Swiatek, in fact, lost the first set before dominating the next two sets in the quarterfinals and winning with a score of 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.

"In the first set, I made a lot of mistakes because I played with a tempo that was too fast. After that, I tried to return to the tactics that should have been used. It took a long time to realize this, but I am glad that I finally managed to do it," said Swiatek.

AFP/PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

Iga Swiatek hits the ball against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 Madrid, Tuesday (30/4/2024) local time.

Her semifinal opponent, Madison Keys, also dropped the first set against Ons Jabeur. Keys didn't even win a single game in the opening set before she came back and won 0-6, 7-5, 6-1.

The tickets for the women's singles semifinals in the lower half of the draw will be contended on Wednesday. Yulia Putintseva will challenge three titleholders in 2024, Elena Rybakina. Meanwhile, the Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will be challenged by 17-year-old tennis player, Mirra Andreeva. (AP/AFP)