Nadal commented on his farewell match in Madrid

The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal concluded his participation at the Madrid tournament, losing to Czech player Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round with a score of 5:7, 4:6.

For Nadal, it was his final appearance at the Madrid tournament and likely his last appearance at tournaments in Spain. After the current season, the King of Clay plans to retire.

- When you arrived here a week ago, could you have dreamed that you would play so well? Now that you have, does it inspire optimism in you that you can continue to play for quite a while longer, not too long, but in the future?

"I don't know how long (smiles), but I'll try to play in Rome. It's another special tournament in my career, isn't it? I think I've won 10 titles there? Yes, 10. So, yes, there are also many emotions there. My dream is to play again at all these tournaments where I've had success. Unfortunately, I missed Monte Carlo, which is one of the most special tournaments for me, but Rome is one of those where I've really enjoyed playing."

"So I want to go there. I'll try. And I want to play well there. I want to be competitive. I want to give myself a chance to play good tennis, and I'll continue to work hard to achieve that."

"Today, of course, is a very emotional day. Today is an unforgettable day in terms of saying goodbye to Madrid. It's one of the places or even, perhaps, the place where I've received the most love and support over all these years."

"But my career continues, and I have personal goals that I set for myself in the next couple of weeks, and I want to see if I have a chance to achieve them," said Nadal.