When the end came, the Madrileños chanted his name, just as they have for more than two decades.
This time, though, the chorus was less a war cry than a mournful murmur: “Ra-fa, Ra-fa, Ra-fa.”
Minutes earlier, Rafael Nadal’s final match on Spanish soil had ended in a 7-5, 6-4 defeat to Jiri Lehecka, a muscular, square-jawed Czech 15 years his junior. Now, as the soft hum of the crowd subsided and his wife, Xisca, and sister, María Isabel, looked on through a veil of tears, Nadal stepped forward to address the crowd.
“This is a joke,” he said with a mischievous grin. “Next year, I am coming back.”
On a night rich with emotion, it was not the only moment that leavened the sadness of Nadal’s farewell to Madrid. Up in the rafters of the Estadio Manolo Santana, five banners were unfurled, one for each of the 37-year-old’s Madrid Open victories; to his evident amusement, the first and fifth temporarily got stuck halfway down. Not to worry: three titles would still be as many as anyone else has managed in the Spanish capital. And if Nadal needed a reminder of his other two wins, there was always the video montage that, he said, made him feel like his title triumphs, the last of which came in 2017, happened in another lifetime.
The reality, of course, is that he will almost certainly not be back. The injuries that have plagued him throughout his career, of which the abdominal and hip issues that have hampered him for the better part of two years are merely the latest manifestation, have left an indelible mark. Lehecka is the first player ranked outside the top 20 to defeat Nadal on a clay court since Pablo Cuevas, who accomplished the feat at the 2016 Rio Open. Nadal nonetheless leaves Madrid with a suitcase of memories and the knowledge that, with four straight matches under his belt for the first time since the 2022 US Open, his form and fitness are improving.
“This is a difficult day when it arrives, but it’s a reality,” Nadal told the crowd. “My body and my life had been sending me signs for some time. I was able to say goodbye playing on this court, one of the most emotional ones for me. Madrid at times has been more important to me than a grand slam. The memories here will stay with me forever.
“I have been lucky to have been able to turn a hobby into a job and do it well. I feel very lucky. I can’t ask for anything more.
“I can only thank everyone who has helped me in my career at some point. It’s not over yet, but here it is. It’s a gift that you have given for 21 years.
“I hope I have been able to be a good example for the new generations. That is more important than the titles. I hope I have generated positive emotions. The only thing I can say is thank you. I can’t say anything else; what I feel is this.”