Rafael Nadal distracted by Real Madrid moments before emotional farewell at Madrid Open
Tittle: Rafael Nadal played his final match at the Madrid Open on Tuesday night.
Real Madrid were on Rafael Nadal’s mind as he played his final match in the Spanish capital, going out to Jiri Lehecka in an emotional farewell. Minutes before he suffered a straight-set defeat, Nadal became distracted by his team’s Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.
It was a special night in the Caja Magica on Tuesday as Nadal competed at the Madrid Open for the final time. Facing Lehecka in the round of 16, the 37-year-old lost a close two-setter 7-5 6-4 and said goodbye to his home tournament.
Nadal was broken at the beginning of the second set and never managed to get back on serve. As Lehecka edged closer to victory, everyone in the stands knew that they had a few more minutes to enjoy watching the former world No. 1 play in the Spanish capital.
But the man himself was thinking about something else – Real Madrid. An avid supporter of the club, Nadal was unable to watch the first leg of their Champions League semi-final when he was scheduled as the last night session match on the Manolo Santana Stadium.
