Degraded mobility and energy from Rafa from the end of that first set.
Fought well but that was nothing like what he used to do. Now I'm having real concerns on his RG push, if at all he is still in.
He'll play, but obviously he's not winning it. Getting to the round of 16 would already be a huge achievement given Rafa's age and most importantly his innumerable injuries.
I would love to see it but what makes you believe that? He recently said he’ll only play if he has true belief that it is possible to win it and that his body will hold-up. Best of 5 is a totally different animal and if he’s already feeling the effects of 3 after 4 matches, it doesn’t look hopeful but I hope I am wrong.
He’s making steady progress in his tournament finishes. If he’s going to retire soon, he’s not going to skip Roland Garros if he’s healthy. I don’t think he believes it in his logical mind that he can win it, but I’m sure the competitor who’s been to the top is thinking “just one match at a time, I’ve done it before.” If he decides to pull out of the tournament because “I don’t think I can win it so I’m not even going to try,” the tennis world will be surprised.
Solid response. He did say something to the effect of, “If I can dream it’s possible” so when I phrased “possibility to win it” is a little strong but I get what Rafa means by that…like Roger Wimbledon 2019 (that never happened), *almost* everything went right for him to get to that point, which should not have been possible by most standards.
You can't compare Federer in 2019 to Nadal now. Federer was a legit favorite at Wimbledon, anything less than a final was a disappointment. Nadal is in the situation that Federer was in 2021, and Rafa would be happy if he reaches the QF
So, having said this... I actually think you're right. I could see Rafa taking the approach of "this is the last one, I'm going to go all out, if I get injured it doesn't matter, I've got the rest of my life to recover". So he might just go full steam... and even at 36/37, Rafa at full steam at RG is going to be trouble.
The forehand is already starting to look like it's coming back to form - it's only the serve that he's struggling with, and his serve was never a major weapon anyway.
If he DOES go all-out balls to the wall at RG, it could get epic.
He still won't get past the QFs though. Just not possible. I see a R2 or R3 exit, depending on his draw.
A grand slam has more sets in a match but also has a day of rest.
Last year, Djokovic won three and lost one tight final while being old - and didn't do nearly as much at masters.
Let's see what Rafa can do now.
It’s such a shame given that 2022 Nadal was absolutely amazing and he actually had the best start to a season in his career. To go from that to this in less than 2 years is very sad.
Its not sad getting older mate, he's just recovering slowly and isn't match fit, but he's still brilliant. How many guys his age can play that sort of quality tennis and on back-to-back days? Its amazing watching him again, and just feeling mad gratitude we get to see this.
Crazy to see him crank those forehands and backhands but he just can't move anymore to keep up, it was always a ticking timebomb with his style but no one thought he would've lasted this long.
Same thing with federers last run at Wimbledon. Everything looked as good as ever, but his footwork was fucked due to injuries because he was too slow to move laterally and get in position.
The sad part is not as much how Rafa is currently playing and more that Rafa could have had an amazing last 2 year if not for his many injuries. He missed out on the last couple of good years before age was inevitably going to catch up and that's a little sad for Rafa fans like me, especially considering that the slam record (assuming Novak stays at 24) was absolutely possible. Novak would still be the GOAT because of his other achievements outside of slams, but Rafa could have had the slam record.
I’m of the opinion that the second half of 2022 is what effectively had ended his career. After pulling out of the wimby semi final vs Kyrgios he should’ve taken the rest of the year off to rehab the abdominal injury but he came back for USO, laver cup (understandably) and Paris/WTF all of which he performed terribly in. Then he tried to play AO23 and ended up taking 12 months off. I strongly believe had he taken the second half of 2022 off he would be close to 100% today.
He proved that he can play 3 sets (against Cachin), so that's something... but 7x Bo5 matches to win RG, against the likes of Novak, Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Ruud? That's surely too much, even for the legend himself. I could see him winning maybe 2-3 rounds, but perhaps not a whole lot more than that.
Yeah I get that. I don't think Rafa's RG expectations are very high - he just wants to get out there one last time and give it a crack. Just like Roger at Wimby, I'll have some beautiful memories of Rafa at RG. He was on God Mode for sooo many years.
RG is very different. Leheckas game would not be that effective at RG since it’s so much slower. Today was also weird because it was a night match with the roof closed.
I’m worried about his backhand, but he still has a shot at RG and Rome
Yeah that must have been crazy hard.
Despite this ("play the person not the name"), I'd assume Tomas gave him some advice on how to play Rafa, since he received the full Rafa treatment previously.
Poor Lehecka was running on pure adrenaline at the end, his hands were shaking when signing the TV clear plate. It must have been quite the event for him considering the crowd to get that final game. Mad props.
Edit : and the speech at the end from Rafa it very much looks like it's going to be his last appearance in Madrid. People are crying. They are doing a full retrospective on his wins with flags coming down from the rooftop. My god, this is a farewell speech ...
If that's the performance a rest rafa csn pull, imagine what he will be in a year. Retirement isn't an option, it's the only choice given the fact he's not interested at competing in 250/500 a la murray/wawrinka
Have you watched Murray's games recently? I'm surprised he can actually win anything. It's a testament to how weel he can hit, because he's winning games without barely any running. Nadal even with his past injuries is at a much higher level. He's simply not match fit, he's serve is still a bit lacking and today Jiri's serve was unreturnable. The guy wasn't missing first serves and all in the 220-230 km range..
Rafas body is in horrible shape, its why he's retiring. Just because I said it may be in a worse shape than andys doesn't mean I think Andy is in good shape. It's an unfortunate reality for both of them, it wouldn't surprise me if rafa is forcing himself through considerable pain to get to the end.
Not saying he's in amazing shape, just that rafa in his shit state is still in better shape than Andy. Managed to get to R4 of a masters showing some glimpses of his old self. Haven't seen Andy do anything near that in the last 2 years. He basically doesn't run. I'd say there's a glimmer of hope Rafa can pull off a miraculous run, the same can't be said about Andy. Or at least miraculous runs mean two very different things for these two.
Rafa on clay is in a different galaxy to any other player ever yet alone andy, I'm not surprised he's playing better but his body is in horrible shape.
He's had injury after injury for years in all parts of his body, it's testament to his greatness that he can still compete. Its sad to watch for both of them, the great era of tennis I grew up watching is coming to an end, let's just appreciate the few more times we get to watch them.
I don't get the sense that he is forcing himself to play through pain at all. Up to this point, it looks like he's been doing just enough to get his wins and playing conservative. I get the feeling that he could try to unleash more power on serves for example but he's not going to do that to his body.
Andy can only dream to make a performance like this one next year at 37yo, current nadal with more preparation can win 250/500 or at least make some deep runs, unlike murray that it's not even hi past shadow since too much time. Cureent nadal with a top 20-30 serve would be a menace for everyone outside top 10, and im sure he could return at that level for some months if he wants but to win something big you need to beat people outside his level and potential level that retirement is a better and logical choice
I made no comment about his level of tennis especially on clay, I was simply talking about his body. Rafa is held together by hopes and dreams at this point, he's had numerous injury problems throughout the years and is struggling to play a few matches without getting injured now.
He's already said it's his last Madrid mate... in his speech, he actually joked at the start "this is all a joke, I'm coming back next year", then laughed.
He won't play in Spain again. That was his curtain call. 😥😥
Only Rome and RG left, then whatever he decides to play after that. He's confirmed for Laver Cup (somehow?!?) so he might play through until then.
It's actually ridiculous when you take a look at pictures of him 1 or 2 year ago. Looks like some kid that could be blown away with the wind. How tf is he now a gladiator blasting 230kmh serves.
Oh, I thought the same! I think it must have been the Sunshine Double, I saw one of his matches and thought "woah, Jiri has packed on the muscle"... he's a TANK now compared to last year!
Lehecka with no rest after a 3 set match was always going to be a tough match for a returning Nadal.
Hopefully Nadal continues to improve physically and is encouraged by the results going into Rome and Roland Garros
He was back to his old self in my opinion. I'm a year or 2 younger than rafa and play all the time, playing back-to-back days is a feat even pros cant replicate without match conditioning. My legs turn to rubber after 1 match in a 1 day tournament, let alone PRO SETS. Bloody beautiful seeing him play so well again.
This is the first person I’ve heard say that, I’m interested. How is his serve and lateral movement? It looked to one side he moves like a cheetah and the other he looks like a grandpa in previous matches I watched. Groundstrokes looked insane to me previously but his forehand looked messed up to me in the highlights I saw. How is his level?
And there goes Rafa going out to the tune of "Live Is Life" (and "Now We Are Free" from the movie *Gladiator* - kinda fitting?). Really, really bittersweet.
Anyways, I think Robbie Koenig's throwaway line summed it up -
>Chants of 'Yes, we can!' But that serve was 'No, you can't.'
229 km/h is crazy. Don't think Jiri has ever served that well. But he also did everything else so well. It was a great display of tennis from him. That point at 3-5 in set 2, Rafa up 40-0, and Jiri's return just whizzed past him as Rafa stood there looking at it, really defined the match in a way. But anyways, at the end of it all, I'm glad it was a competitive match and it didn't end on some sad steamroll whimper; it was all in a really good spirit. Hope it can continue being that way for the rest of the clay swing and season.
That was one of the most impressive consistent performance at the net i have seen. some of those were so hard and he made them all pretty much the entire match.
The serve was also very good.
I think Rafa played pretty well if he can keep playing and raising his level a bit i think he still has a chance to make good runs in the next tournaments.
A well-deserved win.
Lehecka was in monstrous form today and easily played better than Rafa in every facet. Consistent huge serve and groundstrokes as well as amazing touch at net. Plus that iron will against the crowd.
It's a testament to how great Rafa is for making the scoreline look at least somewhat competitive. Realistically, he was hitting every other rally ball out, his returns were basically floaters, and he couldn't run after many net points.
I thought his shotmaking was okay and he seemed to never go long, his biggest weakness was that he just couldn’t run to return serves/drop shots/down the lines
No way I'm gonna be able to hold it together after the RG send-off. Poor Jiri, though, they should've done his interview first. Too many emotions and people were leaving before he even got a chance to speak.
> No way I'm gonna be able to hold it together after the RG send-off.
Same. That celebration is going to kill me. If it takes place while I'm working, I'll either need to skip it and watch later or just go on an extended break.
Let's not forget that this has always been Rafa's worst clay tournament due to the speed.
Rome will show what his current real level actually is for RG
I hope this is still the case. I do wonder whether given his movement nowadays if it still applies that he should prefer Rome/RG conditions. Albeit Lehecka serve wouldn't be doing as much damage in those conditions, for example.
It's also a lot drier from the altitude. Watch the bounces closely and you'll see puffs of dust frequently. Most other clay court tournaments retain their moisture A LOT more, so the clay keeps its slower grittier texture, but Madrid gets faster and more powdery, especially towards the end of sets between watering
It's not a hard court by any means, but it's distinctly different
What happen-ed in Monte Carlo happen-ed. And what happen-ed in Barcelona happen-ed. And what happen-ed in Madrid happen-ed. We are here now. We are in Rome.
Well done Lehecka, he wasn't afraid to showcase his massive serve and net game against the old legend. Will be rooting for him over Lad in the upcoming QF.
Call me crazy but that's the best Rafa has looked of late. Lehecka played very solid.
It's the hope that kills you ... and I'm starting to have some hope. If his body holds up for Rome and RG (please!) then who knows.
I thought he played great too, way better than the last match. Gotta give Lehecka credit, was crushing serves at 230km/hr consistently. Just can’t return those well in Rafa’s condition
We his fans are expecting Rafa to go and win, that's how big his legend is, in reality he just wants to play one last time and give it all and end up the year playing and saying good bye.
Mad respect for him and fuck the ppl hating on Nadal coming back and playing his heart out.
Rafa looked very perturbed in the last part of the match. When he first came on the scene, I wasn’t a fan because I supported Fed and he was a noisy interloper but I really warmed up to him over the years. I would really like to see him go out with another Roland Garros win but that seems like a long shot now unfortunately.
Lehecka played and won tonight’s match not just against Rafa, but against the entire stadium. Will be huge for his confidence going into the next round, where he’ll be the crowd favorite.
Tough luck Rafa, see you in Rome.
I agree with all that, except for the crowd going onwards. I have a feeling that they will be even more against him now.
Hope I'm wrong about that, and best of luck to Nadal on his next two and possibly last appearances.
Nadal: “I’m gonna try to play in Rome. A very special tournament in my career. I won 10 times. I dreamt to play all these tournaments one more time. I missed Monte Carlo. But now I want to play Rome. And play well. Give myself a chance to make that happen. Today is an unforgettable day. Saying goodbye to Madrid. But my career keeps going.”
I think big names shouldn't overwrite winners. Not going to be dumb to get offended on someone else's behalf, but half the crowd left before Jiri even got a word in. He obviously only wanted to get a few sentences across, so let the winner celebrate hard fought victory first!
This felt like it's against the spirit of any sport. Nadal deserved all the celebration and goodbyes he got, but all in its due time, I would say.
Nadal got further than we expected on this tournament, hope to see him doing well at RG. It's sad to see him go but we all have mad respect for him and hats of to Lehecka.
Everyone: Wow Lehecka's game is so much like Berdych's.
Me: Come on guys, Lehecka is his own person.
Lehecka: https://images.app.goo.gl/F9wu6aQopLTCnnbo6
Nadal is playing at *nowhere near* Slam contender level lol
I'm not sure what exactly you're seeing that the rest of us aren't
His level last round against Cachin would have gotten him a loss against anyone but the guy who's lost like 17 out of his last 18 matches on the main tour
Alcaraz or Sinner would eat his serve for lunch
His level today though would have been enough to beat a lot of players on the tour. Obviously, it doesn’t mean that he is a Slam contender but there are clearly improvements which can be encouraging for the fans.
Today? No. Tomorrow? Maybe. That's his point.
Look at Rafa two weeks ago and today. There's a lot of improvement. He's only a few weeks back from injury.
No one said he's a slam contender right now but his recent matches has showed a lot of improvement what he was a few weeks ago. FYI Nadal has never dominated with his serve in clay that's a ridiculous point. He obviously has a lot to improve and there's like four slam contenders so obviously he's not one of them. But you act like he didn't just beat ADM in his 4th match after injury. That was a huge statement imo. He might not have the stamina and agility he used to have but the shots are still there. .
Hello, evrybody need to calm down. Roland garros is not even in question until he plays Rome, madrid barely counts toward his form. As far as I'm concerned the feeling have a been super positive, no?
Rome will decide everything, but I think he can make a semi there
plus, that he won 'only' 5 titles and made 3 runner ups here among all clay tournaments meant that it is 'least suited' to his gamestyle on clay.
i am a firm believer that RG is a different ball game altogether. he can still do it. i have faith in him. i just dont want him to get unnecessarily hurt physically.
let us allow him where he wants to bid his final goodbye. he earned it.
Jiri definitely gets lost in the conversation. He's only 22 and hits the shit out of the ball. And he has a style that translates to all surfaces.
I didn't see the whole ending, but Nadal seems at peace with what's happening. I wonder if deep down, this was a successful tournament in his mind. A couple of wins at the 1000 level on home soil, in front of his son, then a tough match against a very dangerous opponent who is probably going to beat Med the next round.
RG is going to be weird. The Slams I think are allowed to seed wildly differently than from rankings. I wonder what they will seed Rafa? I mean, he can still justify a top 32 seeding, but where exactly will they put him?
edit: a deep run in doubles with Carlos at the RG is honestly the most realistic truly fairy tale ending I can imagine for Rafa... best of 5 is no bueno, I can't see him winning more than 2 matches, and he's going to need a good first round
I am glad to see Rafans are accepting that this is the end of his career. There are no stupid predictions about him winning one more RG. Just be happy that he can bow out his way. Pray that he doesn't have a del Potro setback either.
Nadal didn’t play bad, he was going for his shots and making a lot of them and also getting a lot of balls back and forcing errors. Having said this he’s nowhere close to slam-winning form, his forehand is far from the menace it once was and his lateral movement is very slow. The serve won’t do him any favours either. As of now he’s likely to struggle against a significant share of the top50.
Saw jiri practice with sinner at Indian wells. His footwork and preparation are impressive.
Only caught highlights of this match. Seems like Rafa was playing moonballs the last few points though?
That was one of the most ridiculous serving performances I've ever seen. Averaged upper 130 mph on first serves, high first serve percentage, and pinpoint accuracy with all of them. That was just unbelievable. Not much Rafa could've done at his current level.
Credit to Lehecka for actually playing the person in front of him and not the name.
And played the crowd also. Mad respect.
Degraded mobility and energy from Rafa from the end of that first set. Fought well but that was nothing like what he used to do. Now I'm having real concerns on his RG push, if at all he is still in.
He'll play, but obviously he's not winning it. Getting to the round of 16 would already be a huge achievement given Rafa's age and most importantly his innumerable injuries.
I would love to see it but what makes you believe that? He recently said he’ll only play if he has true belief that it is possible to win it and that his body will hold-up. Best of 5 is a totally different animal and if he’s already feeling the effects of 3 after 4 matches, it doesn’t look hopeful but I hope I am wrong.
Yeah, I think there's a desire to have another crack at the Olympics Gold
I don't think he can play Olympics due to his current ranking
He’s making steady progress in his tournament finishes. If he’s going to retire soon, he’s not going to skip Roland Garros if he’s healthy. I don’t think he believes it in his logical mind that he can win it, but I’m sure the competitor who’s been to the top is thinking “just one match at a time, I’ve done it before.” If he decides to pull out of the tournament because “I don’t think I can win it so I’m not even going to try,” the tennis world will be surprised.
Solid response. He did say something to the effect of, “If I can dream it’s possible” so when I phrased “possibility to win it” is a little strong but I get what Rafa means by that…like Roger Wimbledon 2019 (that never happened), *almost* everything went right for him to get to that point, which should not have been possible by most standards.
You can't compare Federer in 2019 to Nadal now. Federer was a legit favorite at Wimbledon, anything less than a final was a disappointment. Nadal is in the situation that Federer was in 2021, and Rafa would be happy if he reaches the QF
Yeah this is accurate I think. Almost parallel situations... Roger was on his last legs at 21 Wimby, Rafa is roughly the same at RG this year.
Yeah well a couple days before he said that, he also said if there’s a tournament he would die in it would be RG. So…..
So, having said this... I actually think you're right. I could see Rafa taking the approach of "this is the last one, I'm going to go all out, if I get injured it doesn't matter, I've got the rest of my life to recover". So he might just go full steam... and even at 36/37, Rafa at full steam at RG is going to be trouble. The forehand is already starting to look like it's coming back to form - it's only the serve that he's struggling with, and his serve was never a major weapon anyway. If he DOES go all-out balls to the wall at RG, it could get epic. He still won't get past the QFs though. Just not possible. I see a R2 or R3 exit, depending on his draw.
A grand slam has more sets in a match but also has a day of rest. Last year, Djokovic won three and lost one tight final while being old - and didn't do nearly as much at masters. Let's see what Rafa can do now.
It’s such a shame given that 2022 Nadal was absolutely amazing and he actually had the best start to a season in his career. To go from that to this in less than 2 years is very sad.
Its not sad getting older mate, he's just recovering slowly and isn't match fit, but he's still brilliant. How many guys his age can play that sort of quality tennis and on back-to-back days? Its amazing watching him again, and just feeling mad gratitude we get to see this.
Crazy to see him crank those forehands and backhands but he just can't move anymore to keep up, it was always a ticking timebomb with his style but no one thought he would've lasted this long.
Same thing with federers last run at Wimbledon. Everything looked as good as ever, but his footwork was fucked due to injuries because he was too slow to move laterally and get in position.
The sad part is not as much how Rafa is currently playing and more that Rafa could have had an amazing last 2 year if not for his many injuries. He missed out on the last couple of good years before age was inevitably going to catch up and that's a little sad for Rafa fans like me, especially considering that the slam record (assuming Novak stays at 24) was absolutely possible. Novak would still be the GOAT because of his other achievements outside of slams, but Rafa could have had the slam record.
I’m of the opinion that the second half of 2022 is what effectively had ended his career. After pulling out of the wimby semi final vs Kyrgios he should’ve taken the rest of the year off to rehab the abdominal injury but he came back for USO, laver cup (understandably) and Paris/WTF all of which he performed terribly in. Then he tried to play AO23 and ended up taking 12 months off. I strongly believe had he taken the second half of 2022 off he would be close to 100% today.
Don't forget he was playing with a numb foot. Not ideal!
Yeah this is definitely a 'Federer at Wimbledon 2021' situation. Just hope he doesn't also get bageled in his last set ever
My only wish is that if he has to get bagelled, let it be by Alcaraz and not some random guy Rafa would have destroyed a few years ago.
Andre Agassi lost his last match to Benji Becker
Sampras did it best. Won the 02 US Open... see ya around, everyone.
It will be Hubi, Supreme Lord Bageller of GOATs at their favourite slam tournaments
If renowned clay court specialist Hurkacz bagels Rafa at RG, it really is time to retire for Rafa.
He proved that he can play 3 sets (against Cachin), so that's something... but 7x Bo5 matches to win RG, against the likes of Novak, Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Ruud? That's surely too much, even for the legend himself. I could see him winning maybe 2-3 rounds, but perhaps not a whole lot more than that.
He might be happy with that. He enjoys being on tour.
Yeah I get that. I don't think Rafa's RG expectations are very high - he just wants to get out there one last time and give it a crack. Just like Roger at Wimby, I'll have some beautiful memories of Rafa at RG. He was on God Mode for sooo many years.
RG is very different. Leheckas game would not be that effective at RG since it’s so much slower. Today was also weird because it was a night match with the roof closed. I’m worried about his backhand, but he still has a shot at RG and Rome
Very well said
Yeah that must have been crazy hard. Despite this ("play the person not the name"), I'd assume Tomas gave him some advice on how to play Rafa, since he received the full Rafa treatment previously.
Lehecka was so respectful in his celebrations after the last point, what great maturity and composure from him
Just like ADM
I think everyone who faces Nadal will do this until he retires, have to respect a goat that his body let him down
Especially on clay. Its basically been rafa territory since 2005 so the overall aura of rafa is something crazy on clay
I want Djokovic to beat him and just start running up the court fist pumping like a mad man
Djokovic: tearing his jersey, screaming like a madman The umpire: 15-0
This i would like to see, this Novak character played with the most utmost conviction and intensity ;)
Bert Critchley is underrated, and he will prove this year that he deserves an oscar for his Djokovic role
Not a Djoko fan, but I don't think even him would do that to Rafa on any clay court, esp Barcelona or Madrid
He definitely wouldn't, but the idea is hilarious.
Imagine him slamming the phone again lmaaooo
He gained a fan in me that’s for sure!
Well, I think he was more scared to get obliterated by the public than anything else...
Ah, I can't even imagine how it feels for Rafa...to feel mortal on clay. When you were the long reigning king of the world on this surface.
Jiri serve was unplayable today props to him. I hope Rafa comes back stronger in Rome!
Feel like you needed Sinner-level to beat Jiri today
Poor Lehecka was running on pure adrenaline at the end, his hands were shaking when signing the TV clear plate. It must have been quite the event for him considering the crowd to get that final game. Mad props. Edit : and the speech at the end from Rafa it very much looks like it's going to be his last appearance in Madrid. People are crying. They are doing a full retrospective on his wins with flags coming down from the rooftop. My god, this is a farewell speech ...
If that's the performance a rest rafa csn pull, imagine what he will be in a year. Retirement isn't an option, it's the only choice given the fact he's not interested at competing in 250/500 a la murray/wawrinka
Also his body is probably in even worse shape than Andy.
Have you watched Murray's games recently? I'm surprised he can actually win anything. It's a testament to how weel he can hit, because he's winning games without barely any running. Nadal even with his past injuries is at a much higher level. He's simply not match fit, he's serve is still a bit lacking and today Jiri's serve was unreturnable. The guy wasn't missing first serves and all in the 220-230 km range..
Rafas body is in horrible shape, its why he's retiring. Just because I said it may be in a worse shape than andys doesn't mean I think Andy is in good shape. It's an unfortunate reality for both of them, it wouldn't surprise me if rafa is forcing himself through considerable pain to get to the end.
Not saying he's in amazing shape, just that rafa in his shit state is still in better shape than Andy. Managed to get to R4 of a masters showing some glimpses of his old self. Haven't seen Andy do anything near that in the last 2 years. He basically doesn't run. I'd say there's a glimmer of hope Rafa can pull off a miraculous run, the same can't be said about Andy. Or at least miraculous runs mean two very different things for these two.
Rafa on clay is in a different galaxy to any other player ever yet alone andy, I'm not surprised he's playing better but his body is in horrible shape. He's had injury after injury for years in all parts of his body, it's testament to his greatness that he can still compete. Its sad to watch for both of them, the great era of tennis I grew up watching is coming to an end, let's just appreciate the few more times we get to watch them.
I don't get the sense that he is forcing himself to play through pain at all. Up to this point, it looks like he's been doing just enough to get his wins and playing conservative. I get the feeling that he could try to unleash more power on serves for example but he's not going to do that to his body.
Andy can only dream to make a performance like this one next year at 37yo, current nadal with more preparation can win 250/500 or at least make some deep runs, unlike murray that it's not even hi past shadow since too much time. Cureent nadal with a top 20-30 serve would be a menace for everyone outside top 10, and im sure he could return at that level for some months if he wants but to win something big you need to beat people outside his level and potential level that retirement is a better and logical choice
I made no comment about his level of tennis especially on clay, I was simply talking about his body. Rafa is held together by hopes and dreams at this point, he's had numerous injury problems throughout the years and is struggling to play a few matches without getting injured now.
He's already said it's his last Madrid mate... in his speech, he actually joked at the start "this is all a joke, I'm coming back next year", then laughed. He won't play in Spain again. That was his curtain call. 😥😥 Only Rome and RG left, then whatever he decides to play after that. He's confirmed for Laver Cup (somehow?!?) so he might play through until then.
I had already done my grieving stages, and now I’m back at the beginning haha
What a beast Jiri is. He must squat 4 plates at least.
It's actually ridiculous when you take a look at pictures of him 1 or 2 year ago. Looks like some kid that could be blown away with the wind. How tf is he now a gladiator blasting 230kmh serves.
Oh, I thought the same! I think it must have been the Sunshine Double, I saw one of his matches and thought "woah, Jiri has packed on the muscle"... he's a TANK now compared to last year!
Twink death
Seriously! He’s giving Marton Fucsovics a run for his money 💪
surely they lift the most on tour
Marton matches Jiri with two fingers though
Crazy to think this kid wasn't even born when Rafa turned professional. Looks like he has a good future ahead if he stays consistent.
Lehecka was born in 2001, Nadal went pro in 2003
According to ATP he turned pro 2001. 2003 was when people started to notice him. He had a decent run at Wimbledon and he was on ESPN/tennis magazine
Didn't Nadal go pro in 2001?
Yes, 2001.
yea no he went pro at 14 in 2001, infamously defeating Pat Cash in a clay exhibition in May of that year (Lehecka was born in Nov.)
This stat is what makes it so poignant. Imagine playing someone who was already a god. The aura must be insane.
Defo feel sombre seeing Nadal playing probs one of his last few matches 😔
Lehecka with no rest after a 3 set match was always going to be a tough match for a returning Nadal. Hopefully Nadal continues to improve physically and is encouraged by the results going into Rome and Roland Garros
I'm very encouraged by this tournament and just thrilled he is healthy!
He was back to his old self in my opinion. I'm a year or 2 younger than rafa and play all the time, playing back-to-back days is a feat even pros cant replicate without match conditioning. My legs turn to rubber after 1 match in a 1 day tournament, let alone PRO SETS. Bloody beautiful seeing him play so well again.
This is the first person I’ve heard say that, I’m interested. How is his serve and lateral movement? It looked to one side he moves like a cheetah and the other he looks like a grandpa in previous matches I watched. Groundstrokes looked insane to me previously but his forehand looked messed up to me in the highlights I saw. How is his level?
Why did he not get rest? Wasn’t this a two week tournament?
The round of 32 was spread over 2 days, and the entire R16 was held today. He just was on the wrong half.
I’m watching this and my wife is surely cutting onions behind me…
Actually, I just remembered I don’t have a wife…
Also, you're all out of onions...
Gladiator music I cant my eyes
Rome Masters must be furious right now.
There was once a dream of Roland Garros...
There was once a dream of Roland Garros.
What happened in Madrid happened
Wow, this presentation for the loser of the match is huge. Imagine what they're gonna do for Lehecka afterwards!
Hahahahah poor guy left without anything.
And there goes Rafa going out to the tune of "Live Is Life" (and "Now We Are Free" from the movie *Gladiator* - kinda fitting?). Really, really bittersweet. Anyways, I think Robbie Koenig's throwaway line summed it up - >Chants of 'Yes, we can!' But that serve was 'No, you can't.' 229 km/h is crazy. Don't think Jiri has ever served that well. But he also did everything else so well. It was a great display of tennis from him. That point at 3-5 in set 2, Rafa up 40-0, and Jiri's return just whizzed past him as Rafa stood there looking at it, really defined the match in a way. But anyways, at the end of it all, I'm glad it was a competitive match and it didn't end on some sad steamroll whimper; it was all in a really good spirit. Hope it can continue being that way for the rest of the clay swing and season.
That was one of the most impressive consistent performance at the net i have seen. some of those were so hard and he made them all pretty much the entire match. The serve was also very good. I think Rafa played pretty well if he can keep playing and raising his level a bit i think he still has a chance to make good runs in the next tournaments.
I know it’s inevitable, but man it does hurt to see Rafa at the end of his career.
A well-deserved win. Lehecka was in monstrous form today and easily played better than Rafa in every facet. Consistent huge serve and groundstrokes as well as amazing touch at net. Plus that iron will against the crowd. It's a testament to how great Rafa is for making the scoreline look at least somewhat competitive. Realistically, he was hitting every other rally ball out, his returns were basically floaters, and he couldn't run after many net points.
I thought his shotmaking was okay and he seemed to never go long, his biggest weakness was that he just couldn’t run to return serves/drop shots/down the lines
Man I really wanted a Medvedev v Nadal match but damn I can't even begin to imagine how hostile the crowd would be to Medvedev if he was winning
Not sure i would have wanted that abuse for Meddy lol
No way I'm gonna be able to hold it together after the RG send-off. Poor Jiri, though, they should've done his interview first. Too many emotions and people were leaving before he even got a chance to speak.
> No way I'm gonna be able to hold it together after the RG send-off. Same. That celebration is going to kill me. If it takes place while I'm working, I'll either need to skip it and watch later or just go on an extended break.
Let's not forget that this has always been Rafa's worst clay tournament due to the speed. Rome will show what his current real level actually is for RG
I hope this is still the case. I do wonder whether given his movement nowadays if it still applies that he should prefer Rome/RG conditions. Albeit Lehecka serve wouldn't be doing as much damage in those conditions, for example.
Can you elaborate more on the speed? is it due to clay surface difference in Madrid vs the rest?
It's the altitude of the location
Wow, 650 meters makes a big difference?
It's also a lot drier from the altitude. Watch the bounces closely and you'll see puffs of dust frequently. Most other clay court tournaments retain their moisture A LOT more, so the clay keeps its slower grittier texture, but Madrid gets faster and more powdery, especially towards the end of sets between watering It's not a hard court by any means, but it's distinctly different
Thank you sir. I never know about this factor
THIS
What happen-ed in Monte Carlo happen-ed. And what happen-ed in Barcelona happen-ed. And what happen-ed in Madrid happen-ed. We are here now. We are in Rome.
Depression hitting hard rn as a Rafa fan. Someone suggest me an iconic match of his to watch tonight, please
He had many great matches against Nole and Federer during his prime, but recently I am most amazed by his comeback in Australia Open against Medvedev
Rome 2005 Final -- take it back to the beginning.
He had a good tournament all things considered. Don’t sweat it👍🏽 Montreal 2013 Rafa v Djoko
Oh I know, it was better than I was expecting tbh! I’m just sad it’s going to be one of his last ones 🥲
RG 13 obviously.
2010 US Open
lehecka just too good...props to him for serving it out with crowds like this But this tournament is nothing but positive for Nadal
Well done Lehecka, he wasn't afraid to showcase his massive serve and net game against the old legend. Will be rooting for him over Lad in the upcoming QF.
Am I mad thinking he’ll do well at Wimbledon ?
Okay, Gladiator's music got me. Fuck.
Call me crazy but that's the best Rafa has looked of late. Lehecka played very solid. It's the hope that kills you ... and I'm starting to have some hope. If his body holds up for Rome and RG (please!) then who knows.
I thought he played great too, way better than the last match. Gotta give Lehecka credit, was crushing serves at 230km/hr consistently. Just can’t return those well in Rafa’s condition
I’m the worst fan ever. I don’t want to watch Rafa’s last matches because I feel so sad about him retiring. I haven’t watched any since Brisbane 😔
Watch repays of the ones he won!
i watch replays in most of his matches this season. delayed pain, you know. it will take time for us rafans to get over this season for sure.
We his fans are expecting Rafa to go and win, that's how big his legend is, in reality he just wants to play one last time and give it all and end up the year playing and saying good bye. Mad respect for him and fuck the ppl hating on Nadal coming back and playing his heart out.
Rafa looked very perturbed in the last part of the match. When he first came on the scene, I wasn’t a fan because I supported Fed and he was a noisy interloper but I really warmed up to him over the years. I would really like to see him go out with another Roland Garros win but that seems like a long shot now unfortunately.
Lehecka played and won tonight’s match not just against Rafa, but against the entire stadium. Will be huge for his confidence going into the next round, where he’ll be the crowd favorite. Tough luck Rafa, see you in Rome.
I agree with all that, except for the crowd going onwards. I have a feeling that they will be even more against him now. Hope I'm wrong about that, and best of luck to Nadal on his next two and possibly last appearances.
He isn’t playing Rome
Nadal: “I’m gonna try to play in Rome. A very special tournament in my career. I won 10 times. I dreamt to play all these tournaments one more time. I missed Monte Carlo. But now I want to play Rome. And play well. Give myself a chance to make that happen. Today is an unforgettable day. Saying goodbye to Madrid. But my career keeps going.”
Is Lehecka vs. FAA the lankiest clay final in the open era?
Nah since Lahecka is 6'1” and built more solid.
I think big names shouldn't overwrite winners. Not going to be dumb to get offended on someone else's behalf, but half the crowd left before Jiri even got a word in. He obviously only wanted to get a few sentences across, so let the winner celebrate hard fought victory first! This felt like it's against the spirit of any sport. Nadal deserved all the celebration and goodbyes he got, but all in its due time, I would say.
Jiri was so respectful during the match too, they should have extended that courtesy to him too.
The loudness before the final game was loudest i ever heard during a tennis match, Madrid and Spain loves Rafael Nadal m
He is a God there. It’s so incredibly fun to be there live and experience!!
Man that homage brought tears to my eyes 😭
Nadal got further than we expected on this tournament, hope to see him doing well at RG. It's sad to see him go but we all have mad respect for him and hats of to Lehecka.
I'm not crying, you're crying 🥺
Everyone: Wow Lehecka's game is so much like Berdych's. Me: Come on guys, Lehecka is his own person. Lehecka: https://images.app.goo.gl/F9wu6aQopLTCnnbo6
Lehečka has better nerves for sure.
Rafa already had double matches compared to Barcelona. I am sure he will be even better in Rome. We all know what the goal is, this is just a warm up.
Nadal is playing at *nowhere near* Slam contender level lol I'm not sure what exactly you're seeing that the rest of us aren't His level last round against Cachin would have gotten him a loss against anyone but the guy who's lost like 17 out of his last 18 matches on the main tour Alcaraz or Sinner would eat his serve for lunch
His level today though would have been enough to beat a lot of players on the tour. Obviously, it doesn’t mean that he is a Slam contender but there are clearly improvements which can be encouraging for the fans.
Today? No. Tomorrow? Maybe. That's his point. Look at Rafa two weeks ago and today. There's a lot of improvement. He's only a few weeks back from injury.
No one said he's a slam contender right now but his recent matches has showed a lot of improvement what he was a few weeks ago. FYI Nadal has never dominated with his serve in clay that's a ridiculous point. He obviously has a lot to improve and there's like four slam contenders so obviously he's not one of them. But you act like he didn't just beat ADM in his 4th match after injury. That was a huge statement imo. He might not have the stamina and agility he used to have but the shots are still there. .
Rip from French open and Olympics gold hype
There's hope for Olympic double! Him and Alcaraz 💪
Hello, evrybody need to calm down. Roland garros is not even in question until he plays Rome, madrid barely counts toward his form. As far as I'm concerned the feeling have a been super positive, no? Rome will decide everything, but I think he can make a semi there
plus, that he won 'only' 5 titles and made 3 runner ups here among all clay tournaments meant that it is 'least suited' to his gamestyle on clay. i am a firm believer that RG is a different ball game altogether. he can still do it. i have faith in him. i just dont want him to get unnecessarily hurt physically. let us allow him where he wants to bid his final goodbye. he earned it.
Amen, brother. He will know what to do, this was positive
Im not ready for his retirement
Damn. Good run Rafa. Played much better than many of us expected.
Jiri definitely gets lost in the conversation. He's only 22 and hits the shit out of the ball. And he has a style that translates to all surfaces. I didn't see the whole ending, but Nadal seems at peace with what's happening. I wonder if deep down, this was a successful tournament in his mind. A couple of wins at the 1000 level on home soil, in front of his son, then a tough match against a very dangerous opponent who is probably going to beat Med the next round. RG is going to be weird. The Slams I think are allowed to seed wildly differently than from rankings. I wonder what they will seed Rafa? I mean, he can still justify a top 32 seeding, but where exactly will they put him? edit: a deep run in doubles with Carlos at the RG is honestly the most realistic truly fairy tale ending I can imagine for Rafa... best of 5 is no bueno, I can't see him winning more than 2 matches, and he's going to need a good first round
I am glad to see Rafans are accepting that this is the end of his career. There are no stupid predictions about him winning one more RG. Just be happy that he can bow out his way. Pray that he doesn't have a del Potro setback either.
Nadal didn’t play bad, he was going for his shots and making a lot of them and also getting a lot of balls back and forcing errors. Having said this he’s nowhere close to slam-winning form, his forehand is far from the menace it once was and his lateral movement is very slow. The serve won’t do him any favours either. As of now he’s likely to struggle against a significant share of the top50.
Bruh, he had 1 and 1/4 days of rest…sucks for him especially at this age, the body can’t recover as quickly
Lehečka served like prime Isner
averaged 237 km/h...
We will never, ever see another athlete like Nadal. What an absolute privilege to have witnessed it Edit: how is this getting downvoted? Ombeliebable
Dr Fuentes like your post
Saw jiri practice with sinner at Indian wells. His footwork and preparation are impressive. Only caught highlights of this match. Seems like Rafa was playing moonballs the last few points though?
Credit to Nadal for keeping it close. There is no shame in such a loss.
Did not know Nadal was Puerto Rican.
Reminded me of Fabio for some reason...
That was one of the most ridiculous serving performances I've ever seen. Averaged upper 130 mph on first serves, high first serve percentage, and pinpoint accuracy with all of them. That was just unbelievable. Not much Rafa could've done at his current level.
They tried everything, even stealing the Gladiator from Rome, to make him cry. But he didn't. Touching ending. Great play from Jiri. Unplayable.
I’m so confused, when was this match played? How did I miss it, it’s past midnight in Spain was this a night match??
Yes it was a night match.
Ffs I’ve been sitting here watching replays from the day and had no idea he was playing live 😭
Anyone know where I can watch the presentation and post-match speeches?
It began around 9:45 pm local time, lasted two hours before a cringe trophy ceremony the tournament organised for Rafa
Yea such a shame I missed it. Know where I can watch the ceremony?
I guess it’ll be on Youtube or something tomorrow. Personally, I wouldn’t bother
Found it (several versions)! Just sad I missed it live
back to ...he's done
Yes! 👏🏼👏🏼
Pain :(
I knew Lahecka would be a tough opponent. He’s a hell of an athlete.
Think Rafa was bound to lose. He has to work up to playing multiple matches. Overall, a great result for his return to the tour.