May 1, 2024 12:04 PM

Nadal bids farewell to Madrid after defeat by Lehecka

Twenty-two time Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal fell 7-5 6-4 to Czech Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the Madrid Open on Tuesday, marking his final appearance at a tournament he has won five times. In just over two hours, a feisty Lehecka thwarted Nadal's hopes of reaching his 100th Masters 1000 quarter-final after a fairytale run in only his second tournament since January as the Spaniard struggled with injury. Nadal has said he expects to retire after the 2024 season. "I'm happy. It was ...