'Emotional' Nadal bids farewell to Madrid Open, ousted by Lehecka

The Madrid Open organizers paid tribute to five-time champion and Spanish hero Rafael Nadal in a ceremony after he exited in the round of 16 against Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-4 on Tuesday.

Five banners were suspended above the stands at the Manolo Santana Stadium, honoring each year the 37-year-old had won in Madrid (2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017).

"This was a joke, because I'll be back next year," joked Nadal, who missed the 2023 season due to injuries and postponed his return to the competition this year, having only made an appearance in Brisbane in early January before losing the opener in Barcelona last month.

"I don't think I'll be able to play at 100 percent but it's important to be able to play for the last time in Madrid. It means a lot to me to play on this court where I've had some great moments," said Nadal before bidding farewell to the Madrid event. Still, he came as far as the fourth round to boost hopes for himself and the fans that he might still do well at the French Open due to take place at the end of this month, where he has won a record 14 titles out of his total 22 Grand Slam victories, and a career record of 112-3 across 18 appearances.

"I'm going to do the things I have to do to be able to play in Paris. And if I can, I can and if I can't, I can't. I'm going to Paris if I feel like I'm good enough. I'm going to Paris if I feel capable enough to compete," said Nadal a week ago before his first-round match in Madrid.

He downed American teenager Darwin Blanch 6-1, 6-0 in the opener, Australian Alex de Minaur 7-6, 7-3, and Argentine Pedro Cachin 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, all at center stage Caja Magica.

On Tuesday, his bid to become the first man in history to reach 100 Masters 1000 quarter-finals was denied by the 30th seed, who went neck to neck with Nadal in the first ten games of the opening set before he broke and held at love to take the set. He then broke first in the second, which Nadal failed to recover from, to set up his next match with Russia's Daniil Medvedev.

"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 after the match.

"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," he added. 

"It's amazing to share a court with such a legendary player. It's a dream come true; I always wished for this to happen," said Lehecka.

"I'm very grateful to achieve such a big moment and all the best to Rafa. It's kind of bittersweet to have such a nice win in front of all these people who were cheering for him. The energy was amazing," he added.

Earlier in the day, Spain's other home favorite Carlos Alcaraz continued his streak in Madrid to level with Nadal's record at the event of 14 wins in a row, as he moves closer to achieving a hat-trick after outclassing Russia's Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 and setting up his next match with Russia's seventh seed Andrey Rublev.