By Rafael Nadal might have been the only person not to shed a tear as he bowed out of the Madrid Open.
The Spaniard played what is likely to be his last match at the tournament, where he is a five-time champion, after he was beaten 7-5 6-4 by Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round.
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Nadal has previously said that he expects 2024 to be the the final year of his iconic and trophy-laden career, which made for emotional scenes after the match in what would be his last professional outing in his home country.
Following his defeat to the number 30 seed, the 22-time Grand Slam champion received a special presentation on the Caja Magica court.
Five banners were unveiled, bearing the years of each of his titles in the Spanish capital (2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017), and he was then shown a video of his Madrid highlights over the years.
Nadal was visibly emotional, but refused to cry, although the same could not be said for some members of his camp, as his wife and sister were seen shedding tears in the stands.
While the 38-year-old admitted he was touched by the crowd’s emotional response, he joked that he was less moved by his loved ones’ tearfulness.
He told his post-match press conference: “It gives me great personal satisfaction. When people get excited, they don’t just get excited about the sporting issue.
“It will be because I also assume that I have done things well, not just with the racket in hand. I hope that I have behaved appropriately almost always.”
Nadal then said of his family, laughing: “That people in my family cry… it’s normal.
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“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.”
The all-time great had paid tribute to his home supporters after the match with a farewell speech on court.
He said: “It’s been a gift what you’ve done for me during the 21 years that I’ve played here. All I can say is thank you.”
Nadal also revealed the tournament’s special place in his heart, having first tasted success at the clay court event in 2005, aged just 19.
The Majorca-born legend expressed his gratitude: “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.”
Having only only just returned from his most recent injury issue at the Barcelona Open two weeks earlier, Nadal admitted that his performance in Madrid had given him encouragement.
He said: “Just two days before I left for Barcelona I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to play again in an official match.
“And in the end I’ve played two weeks.”
With the Spaniard in the twilight phase of his career, he will be hoping he continues to show signs of progress in the coming weeks.
Nadal is due to compete in the upcoming Rome Masters, the final tournament before the French Open, where he will be desperate to end on a high at the Grand Slam which he has won a record 14 times.
