Maribel Nadal, her mother and Xisca Perelló cry with emotion at Rafa Nadal’s farewell in Madrid

One month after turning 38 years old, Rafael Nadal He said goodbye to the Caja Mágica this Tuesday after losing what would be his last tennis match in Madrid. Well-known faces, in addition to his close friends and family, came to the stadium to show their support and accompany him on this special day.

Although the tennis player gave everything on the court, Jiri Lehecka ended up winning the match, winning the match (5-7 and 4-6). From the stands, Maribel Nadal and Xisca Perelló suffered every lost point, trusting that Rafa could emerge victorious, ending his career “on a high note.”

The athlete’s mother, Ana María Parera, sitting next to Maribel Nadal, consoled him while the tennis player’s sister dried her tears. When he finished, he hugged Xisca Perelló, who was also excited at the moment of her farewell. Feliciano Lopez He went out to the court to pay tribute to the tennis player, who dedicated a few words to the stadium on the occasion of his farewell. After thanking him for the support received during his fruitful career, Rafa Nadal put an end to a stage in his life.

Among the attendees we have also been able to see the coach of Atlético de Madrid Diego Simeone or right-handed Gonzalo Caballero, who attended the appointment accompanied by his mother, Chiqui del Hoyo.

You will always have Paris

The Spaniard suffered a tough defeat against Lehecka in the round of 16. The first set was very close, but the Czech’s break when the tie-break approached left Nadal frozen. It’s not goodbye, because Rafa and his legend are eternal, but we also have Paris left. The one in Madrid was an unexpected elimination, because it seemed that he had recovered. But Rafa Nadal’s last match at the Mutua Madrid Open may be his last chance to compete in Spain. “I can only thank everyone who has helped me in my career at some point. It’s not over yet but it is here. It is a gift that you have given for 21 years. Madrid has been more important to me than a Grand Slam. The emotions of Madrid stay with me forever,” declared the best Spanish athlete of all time on the track Manolo Santana.

Lehecka played a great game, especially at the net, a place that was too complicated this Tuesday for Rafa, since he is only able to get there at the cost of excessive physical effort. Despite the defeat, Nadal showed us signs of his fighting ability: hiding the serve from him and moving the ball from corner to corner. But already in the first set. Lehecka got the first and only break when the tie-break was approaching, and Rafa received a big blow that was the beginning of the end. Another more emotional game was played from the stands, focused on Rafa and treating the myth for what he is: a life legend, a player capable of turning a sport into an epic lesson. Rafa’s new lesson, powerless in the face of a drop, that is, human, is that the best do not always win. We have Paris left. and with Rafa Nadal to dream is not to dream but to enjoy. There is still that temple of tennis that the Manacorí sanctified so many times: Roland Garros is marked on his agenda.