The match ended after midnight under a closed roof in the Magic box and the 37-year-old was wooed with five whips that were brought down with little trouble and a specially made dent.
Nadal first played in the tournament in 2003 and felt he could seriously compete two years later. He won the tournament five times. He came to the tournament with a pessimistic feeling and was worried about not being able to complete it because he didn’t feel completely 100.
– I didn’t know if I would compete in a real match again and I have now played for two weeks. It has been unforgettable, says Nadal who got the answers he needed. In the stands it was shouted: “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa!”.
The family cried in the stands
In the stands was the family with his wife Maria Francisca Perello, mother Aina María Parera and sister María Isabel Nadal who wept openly.
– I was able to play four matches, where several were really tough and it is very positive to have won three of them, says Nadal, who now announces that he will start in Rome, which begins on May 8, this as part of the preparations for the French open where he has an unimaginable 14 titles.
“Can I have your shirt?”
After the victory against Pedro Cachin in the third round, the opponent asked for a shirt as a souvenir.
– It was a dream come true to play against you. can i have your shirt Cachin asked as they gave thanks for the game in front of the net.
A sweaty Nadal thought about the situation and found an unused match shirt in his bag and handed it over to Cachin who got a memory for life.
Nadal has announced that this season will be his last.