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Rafael Nadal, of Spain, waves to the crowd after losing a match against Jiri Lehecka, of Czech Republic, during the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, April 30, 2024
JAMES NALTON explains how this historic Lancashire clash has become a fixture of the Championship season
RAFAEL NADAL bade an emotional farewell to his home fans today after losing to Jiri Lehecka on his final appearance at the Madrid Open.
The great Spaniard is playing his final season on tour and had battled into the fourth round but young Czech Lehecka proved too strong, winning 7-5 6-4 to dash the hopes of a partisan crowd at the Caja Magica.
Nadal has won the tournament a record five times, firstly in 2005 and lastly in 2017, and five banners spelling out “Gracias Rafa” were unveiled following his defeat just after midnight before he was awarded a special trophy.
Novak Djokovic could topple his own record 24 Grand Slam singles titles at the US Open, but the shadow of Rafael Nadal’s greatness still hovers over both the men’s and women’s draws, writes LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
