Rafael Nadal experiences emotional loss to Jiri Lehecka at Mutua Madrid Open

Rafael Nadal bid an emotional farewell to the Madrid Open after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Jiri Lehecka in the last 16 of the tournament. The Spanish tennis legend, a five-time champion at the event, was hoping for a fairy-tale run in what could be his final appearance in Madrid. However, the 30th seed Lehecka had other plans and emerged victorious with a 7-5, 6-4 win in just over two hours.

After the match, Nadal addressed the crowd in an emotional on-court interview, expressing gratitude for his career and the opportunity to turn his passion into his profession. The tournament honored Nadal by unfurling five banners commemorating his past victories in Madrid.

Despite not being fully fit, Nadal managed to win three consecutive matches before falling to Lehecka. The Czech player, who won all his matches in straight sets, described sharing the court with Nadal as a dream come true and expressed gratitude for the experience.

In another thrilling match, Carlos Alcaraz battled past Jan-Lennard Struff in a hard-fought encounter. Alcaraz, aiming to make history by winning three straight titles at the ATP Masters 1000 event, overcame a tough challenge from Struff to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Beatriz Haddad Maia and advance to the semi-finals. Swiatek, who is aiming for her third title of the year, will face Madison Keys in the next round.

As the clay-court season heats up, tennis fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports Tennis, with coverage of upcoming tournaments leading up to the French Open at Roland Garros. With a new home for tennis on Sky and NOW, fans can enjoy over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year, including exclusive coverage of the US Open.