Madrid Open: Fans Left Heartbroken at ‘Vile’ Decimation of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz’s Homage

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are the pride of Spanish tennis. Many great players have come out of the country, but none that devastated the competition like Nadal or showed Alcaraz’s potential. The two were honored with a mural reminiscent of their Madrid Open meeting in a touching gesture. Sadly, the mural has not stood the test of time as it has already been vandalized.

The painting in Madrid was inspired by the embrace the two players shared after their 2022 Madrid Masters clash, where Alcaraz won his first clay Masters. It showed the two embracing from behind, with Nadal passing his crown on to Alcaraz. The mural, made by street artist TV BOY, was loved by fans instantly, and unfortunately fell just as quickly.

A recent picture shows the mural was likely destroyed by fire as the wall shows blackened signs. The picture was shared by Punto De Break’s director, José Morón, who wrote, “It’s a shame that @tvboy’s beautiful mural about Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz hasn’t even stood up for two days 😢😢😢What a society, which is not capable of respecting this type of things.” [Translated from Spanish by Google]

Fans went on to share their sadness about the vandalism, and one fan expressed their sadness of the matter. They wrote, “Really sad 🙁“.

Another tennis journalist kept their reply to the situation straightforward with a crying emoji and found it difficult to digest reality. “Terrible…🥲.”

One user talked about how the safety of various things in public continues to be degraded, and how the public space cannot have good things. “We’re not allowed to have nice things in public in 2024.“

Another fan said that fans don’t respect the mural. “No respetan 😞☹️.“

One user was fuming with anger and wanted justice to prevail as they wrote as they said the destruction was vile and evil. They further hoped the perpetrator would be caught and punished. “This is vile, evil, and disrespectful. Hopefully they catch whoever or those responsible 😤😡 #MMOPEN” 

While the mural was disrespected and debased by some angry tennis fans, most showered love on both Alcaraz and Nadal in their Madrid Open stint.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz say farewell to the 2024 Madrid Open with emotional exits

Rafa played his last ever match in Madrid when he lost 5-7, 4-6 to Jiri Lehecka. After making clay his fortress, the Spaniard was congratulated immediately following the match, and the entire crowd, including Nadal’s wife and sister, became emotional. This demonstrated the love that the Spaniard has received from his supporters throughout the years.

The organizers paid their tribute to Rafa, as they unfurled banners showing each time Rafa won the tournament. The five-time champion laughed as two banners got stuck but gave a speech which was followed by a wave of tears. On the other hand, Alcaraz, who found himself eliminated by Andrey Rublev, could not help but shed tears on the towel.

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Despite the solemn moment, fans cheered for the two-time champion and helped him leave the stadium with his head held high. Both players are loved in Madrid. Unfortunately, some despise them enough to destroy a tribute to them.