On Tuesday night, Czech tennis star Jiri Lehecka forced an abrupt ending to Rafael Nadal‘s final appearance at the Mutua Madrid Open. He defeated the ‘King of Clay’ by 7-5, 4-6 to make his way into the QF. This defeat not only deprived Nadal of his 60th win at this prestigious tournament and 100th ATP Masters 1000 QF but also shattered millions of hearts who were hoping to see this magical show a bit more on Madrid soil. Fans were in tears, and so were Rafa’s family members! The stadium unfurled five banners depicting his five triumphs in this tournament.

Crowds chanted his name and stood on their feet to give him a round of applause for all the moments he has given to his Spanish tennis fraternity to cherish for the rest of their lives. What a moment! Rafael Nadal’s sister, Maribel Nadal, recently shared a glimpse of that moment on her Instagram account. She shared a video clip showcasing the ‘King’ waving back at his army while making an exit through the alleys of his magnificent castle. Nadal fought back tears as he addressed the passionate and emotional crowd.

He reflected on his “incredible” journey and the “gift” of enjoying his career for over two decades. Rafael Nadal explained these moments stating, “This is more important than any Grand Slam that I have won and will always stay with me. This is one of those days that when it arrives it is very hard. But life and my body have been sending me signals for a long time.” He feels lucky to have turned his passion into his profession, he feels lucky to have such a strong support system who always backs him in his tough days.

Nadal’s wife, Maria Francisca Perrello, and his sister Maria Isabel Nadal were in tears as soon as the Gladiator’s theme song ‘Now We Are Free‘, rang through the stadium. Rafael Nadal thinks it’s quite “normal” for his family members to cry. He added, “That people in my family cry… it’s normal. Even if I had behaved horribly, I suppose they would cry too. Because they have a different affection for me than the people around me.” How did Rafael Nadal manage to keep check of his own emotions in front of such lovely home fans?

“I have not yet finished” – Rafael Nadal says he still has a long road to cover this year

The 37-year-old tennis legend thanked his family, friends, and fans for pushing him to give that extra effort to make the comeback. He added, “I have been fortunate to have very suitable people by my side in all facets so that in difficult moments I have always received the support of the people around me. If you add to that the love of the people, it always helps to want to try a little more. I have always done it and, well, here I am.” Every goodbye is emotional but he doesn’t want to get carried away with emotions at the moment and spoil what’s coming ahead of him in his last season.

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“I did not want to make a sea of tears because I have not yet finished my way with the racket in my hand. It’s been a very emotional night. But now is not the time to let go of all the emotions and sensations I have inside me. I still have a long way to go and I don’t want to let go of all the adrenaline,” Rafael Nadal. He said that he has come a “full circle” in Madrid and he couldn’t image being here at this age. 

Share your thoughts on Rafael Nadal’s amazing journey in Madrid!