Watch: Rafael Nadal receives a souvenir amidst emotional goodbye as Madrid bids farewell to their 5-time champion

Nadal played Czech prodigy Jiri Lehecka for a place in the quarter-finals. In front of a packed crowd that included his family, Rafael Nadal engaged in a fierce 2-hour battle against Lehecka, showing his determination in every point. Despite not being at his peak, Nadal fought with all his might to stay in the match. However, the Czech’s powerful shots proved too much, leading him to victory in straight sets and marking the end of Nadal’s career at the Madrid Open.

The Mutua Madrid Open did not let their champion player leave without a proper goodbye. All the formalities were in place to honor the Spaniard, including a fitting tribute to the ‘King Of Clay’. Nadal was presented with a special souvenir to commemorate his years of success in Madrid: a replica trophy of the Madrid Open, rightfully acknowledging his five-time championship wins at the tournament.

Rafael Nadal laughs off a mishap during his tribute ceremony after a heartbreaking loss at the Madrid Open

Spanish ace Rafael Nadal concluded a sad Tuesday night with a loss against Jiri Lehecka. Despite being late at night, the fans stayed back to give a proper goodbye to the Spaniard. The tournament organizers also had a few preparations in their mind. 

After the loss, they had pulled down the banner, each of them with a picture of Nadal’s iconic trophy bites for his Madrid Open wins. However, one banner refused to come down, and the Spaniard laughed it off.

That was a difficult one. It doesn’t want to come down! said Rafael Nadal, as the banner did not unfurl rightly

It was a banner that had Nadal’s first Madrid Open win in 2005 against Ivan Ljubicic . He stood there teary-eyed as a tribute video played in the back. In the presence of his extended family, wife Maria, sister Maribel, and son Rafa Jr., Nadal waved goodbye to Madrid, possibly for the last time in his career.