Watch: Even Rafael Nadal can’t resist! Spanish Maestro asks for a Real Madrid update during his fourth-round clash against Jiri Lehecka

Having practiced together, both players were quite comfortable with each other’s moves, and Lehecka surprisingly had the counter to some of Nadal’s deadly groundstrokes. 

The intensity only rose in the match, but amidst all the tension, the Spaniard went up to his team and asked for the score between Real Madrid and Bayern. As a Real Madrid fan, the 37-year-old was curious about the score, which was 2-2. The match was tied at the same score, but it was different for Nadal. 

Lehecka got the better of the Spaniard in both sets and won an important match against him. This saw the end of Rafa’s run at the Madrid Open. Lehecka, on the other hand, moves up the draw and is set to face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. 

Rafael Nadal expressed his gratitude towards the Spanish crowd as he bids farewell to the Madrid Open

Spanish Maestro Rafael Nadal was ousted by young Czech prodigy Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the Madrid Open. 

Unfortunately, it was likely to be his last match in this tournament. Having entered as a champion, Nadal couldn’t bag another trophy but ended up in front of his family and a wonderful crowd. 

Furthermore, before leaving, the stadium had a goodbye present in the form of a tribute. They displayed banners for the Spaniard, along with a short video. The 37-year-old also thanked the Madrid crowd for their unwavering support. Not a dry face was left in the stadium as Nadal walked off the Madrid Open stadium for a possible last time. 

It has been a gift what you’ve given me here. The emotion that I get from this experience in Madrid, from the Spanish public…I was lucky as a kid to do the job that I love. I feel super fortunate to have lived a life that I’ve liked. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Said Rafael Nadal to the Madrid crowd

Nonetheless, this is not the end for Nadal, who will surely play the other tournaments with a lot of confidence. Next up for the Spaniard is the Rome Open, where he hopes to enter as 100% and finish unscathed.