Madrid farewell for king of clay: Rafael Nadal bids for one last miracle
by The Guardian
The Guardian— As the end of his career draws ever closer, the ailing 14-time French Open champion faces a race against time to find formTowards the end of last week, before most of the 192 players in the Madrid Open main draw singles had even touched down in the Spanish capital, Rafael Nadal was already pounding balls on the courts of the Caja Mágica in preparation for the coming tournament.The four-times champion’s early arrival made sense. He is, after all, in a race against time to find at least a...
The Guardian—Rafael Nadal bids emotional farewell to Madrid Open after loss to Jiri Lehecka. Five-times winner is honoured by event after 7-5, 6-4 defeatWorld No 1 Iga Swiatek to face Madison Keys in semi-finalsRafael Nadal’s rousing, dramatic last stand on home soil came to an end just after midnight in the early hours of Wednesday morning as he was outhit and outplayed by Jiri Lehecka, a talented young Czech, who seized one of the biggest moments of his career so far by toppling the Spaniard 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.The defeat will likely mark Nadal’s...
The Guardian—'I hope I have generated emotion': Rafael Nadal bids emotional farewell to Madrid Open – video. Rafael Nadal's spirited run at his final Madrid Masters came to an end when Jiri Lehecka defeated the 37-year-old 7-5, 6-4. Following the match, a ceremony took place celebrating the Spaniard's previous successes at the tournament, as five banners – one for each year he has won the title – were unfurled and a trophy presented. Nadal spoke after the match saying he hopes he has 'generated emotion and illusion' in those watching throughout his career. He is likely to retire later this year but the...
BBC—Madrid Open: Rafael Nadal begins farewell with straight-set win. Rafael Nadal begins his Madrid Open farewell with a comfortable straight-set win over American teenager Darwin Blanch.