Madrid cements Nadal’s uncertain fate

An endless number of sensations attacked Rafa Nadal on the last night of Aprilonce the defeat against the Czech Jiri Lehecka passed and was assumed, signing the eternal farewell of the twenty-two Grand Slam winner of the Madrid Masters 1000 and, perhaps, the definitive departure from any court of Spain.

The satisfaction for the duty fulfilled, the sadness at saying goodbye, the joy at the end with an obvious development that was not expected, the joy for the love received, the effects of a remarkable physical and mental effort, the comfort… mixed emotions before thousands of followers could stop the passage of time and avoid the announced end.

Nadal left the Magic Box with the warmth of his family by his side and the peace after emptying himself.. Having stayed in Madrid for more days than expected, with a smile and a journey still to be made to fulfill the roadmap outlined in his farewell.

Nothing to do with his arrival in Madrid. With a somewhat crooked demeanor, a pessimistic air and bad omens. A few weeks ago I wasn’t sure I could play again, be competitive. He arrived from Barcelona, ​​​​the starting point in another recovery attempt, a return to flight, with more doubts than certainties. With a clear victory in his first match against the Italian Flavio Cobolli but with a heavy defeat against Alex de Miñaur, an Australian with limited skills on clay.

That game lost against the eleventh player in the world left few doubts. An acceptable first set and a clear decline afterwards. He left Barcelona for Madrid without knowing how long he would be there or the level he could reach. The presence in front of the media at the Caja Mágica before his debut revealed the desperation of the winner of twenty-two Grand Slams when he left nothing behind. Neither reached the second week, nor reached Roland Garros in the conditions. “If you can, you can. But the world doesn’t end at Roland Garros. There are other challenges like the Olympic Games in different disciplines,” said Nadal.

But his time at the Madrid Masters 1000, which he won five times, more than anyone else, boosted the spirit of the 37-year-old Majorcan who defeated, very easily, an inexperienced seventeen-year-old like Darwin Blanch invited by the organization. Afterwards, he exacted his revenge on De Minaur, whom he left in battle with symptoms of improvement.

The third match came against an Argentinian, Pedro Cachín, who took him on court for three hours. He came out with flying colors Also Nadal who encountered, in the round of 16, his toughest requirement. Czech Jiri Lehecka, a striking demonstration, a clear and timely reflection of what is to come in the new generation. Twenty-two years old, strength, self-confidence, competitiveness and courage.

Nadal’s best in a long time was seen in the first set, when he faced the heir to Tomas Berdych on familiar ground.. He kept his cool and stood up to her, especially in the first set. “I have played the best set since I returned,” said Rafael Nadal, who refused because his body was not ready for that kind of demands. But the Spaniard won his second game in a row, his fourth in a week. One more step.

He encouraged the level offered to the Spanish tennis player to leave Madrid with a changed demeanor, with hope, with a different reality than he arrived at.

“I’ve made steps forward in every sense and we’ll see if I can combine those advances. I arrived with doubts and I left with little doubts. I played against a very high level opponent and I was competitive. I have options in the first set. My first set for me was the best since I raced again. In terms of activity, legs, and ability to spin the ball, that was the day when he was in the best position on the court. “I had a little muscle ache at the end of the first set but I enjoyed it all the way, better than I expected.”

Nadal continued his walk. As planned, with more games than expected behind him, he will arrive in Rome to play another Masters 1000, on clay, which he won a dozen times. This is another one of your favorite events, one you’ve marked on your calendar. One more step to go through in your countdown. From there comes the decision to play Roland Garros, as intended. And then, Paris again, at the Games. Another great challenge, another hopeful climax.