Madrid Open: Rafael Nadal’s Confidence Goes for a Toss As He Confesses to Vulnerability Ahead of Jiri Lehecka Clash

Rafael Nadal‘s Madrid Open run is filled with surprises. To his surprise, he wins against ATP players that he used to struggle against in practice. The task grows as he prepares for the next match against Jiri Lehecka. The 22-time Grand Slam champion displays an unexpected vulnerability in the heat of the match when he expresses shock at the idea of losing to a 22-year-old tennis star in the next fourth round.

Even with his stellar record and his pursuit of an incredible tenth straight quarterfinal appearance, the former world number one admits Lehecka is a serious obstacle. In a press conference after defeating Pedro Cachin, Nadal stated, “Three weeks ago I was losing to every kid at my academy. And now I’m competing again against the players from the ATP circuit. And winning matches”.

Ahead of his match, Rafael Nadal made a startling admission regarding his lack of confidence in his ability to defeat Jiri Lehecka. The 37-year-old expressed his unambiguous stance in a tweet, cited by José Morgado, saying that he would be shocked if he won, underscoring the difficult task he expects to face. Furthermore, he had also played against Lehecka prior to the tournament, losing to him in practice sessions.

However, after what happened in the third round in Madrid against the Cachin, things are quite uncertain for the Spaniard himself. The former world number one lost the second set, but in the pivotal third set against the Argentinian, he showed incredible tenacity and skill.

During the heated three hours and four minutes of action, the Spaniard’s ability to remain resilient and improve his game under duress solidified, helping him achieve victory on the court. Nadal added, “I hope so, because I lost😁But I don’t know. Let’s see. I cannot predict what can happen tomorrow, what level I gonna show tomorrow. I am more unpredictable than what I used to be.” 

The 22-time Grand Slam champion himself is not sure about what happens next, considering his physical fitness at the moment. While talking about achieving victory on the court, Rafa also highlighted how things looked in his head after the third-round victory.

Rafael Nadal on his fitness – ‘trying my best’

After the match, Nadal said, “I am enjoying. Let’s see how I wake up tomorrow. I don’t know. Day by day I am enjoying playing at home, it means everything to me. I am trying my best to keep dreaming. Tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming.”

However, before the tournament, he was a little unsure about his tennis plans following the Madrid Open. He stated, “I’ll keep fighting and doing the things that I think I need to do to play in Paris.” Subsequently, Rafa also clearly mentioned that if it’s possible for him, he would definitely go forward for the Olympics, but if not, he wouldn’t be participating in the bigger events of the year.