In his farewell speech he thanked everyone who helped him in his career. “The gift you gave me, in this wonderful place. I have been privileged to have been here so many times. I am so happy that I lived the life that I did,” Nadal said in a touching speech on the court.
“I am proud of the emotions we have created together here. I want to say thanks. It’s a difficult day for me.” Life signaled to him that it was time to stop. “But I am happy that I had the chance to play again in this tournament that gave me so many emotions,” said the Spaniard, who was accompanied by a standing ovation from the fans as he left the dressing room.
Alcaraz brings Struff to his knees
Title defender Carlos Alcaraz prevailed in a new edition of last year’s final against the German Jan-Lennard Struff in a thriller 6:3 6:7 (5/7) 7:6 (7/4). Struff, who had only celebrated his first tournament victory the previous week in Munich at the age of 34, surprised again with a strong performance. The Spaniard Alcaraz, who recently missed the tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to a forearm injury and started the clay court season in Madrid late, had a break in the first round to make it 4-2.
Reuters/Susana Vera Defending champion Alcaraz was able to celebrate after a tough fight
In the second set, Alcaraz got off to a dream start with a break, but gave up the advantage on his own serve in the fourth game. The decision was made in the tiebreak, in which Struff used the fourth set point. After a break and a rebreak and the Spaniard’s defense of four match points, the third set also went into extra time, in which Alcaraz had the better end this time.
Tiebreak keeps Struff in the tournament
Struff won his first tournament victory a week ago at the ATP 250 tournament in Munich. Last year, the 34-year-old late starter made it to the final at the Masters in Madrid as a “lucky loser”. The world number 24 lost there. Alcaraz won after a tough fight in three sets 4:6 6:3 3:6. This time it was an even closer affair as Struff won the second set tiebreak 7-5.
AP/Manu Fernandez The newly crowned tournament winner Struff fought back for a long time, but in the end he had to admit defeat to Alcaraz
After that, the German was hopelessly behind at 3:5 and 0:40, but after defending four match points he managed the break and finally made it back into the tiebreak. There the 34-year-old turned a 0:3 into a 4:3, but that was his last point in the game.
“Struggling with my emotions”
Alcaraz couldn’t miss match point number five after 2:52 hours. The 20-year-old celebrated his 14th match win in a row in Madrid, while the world number three triumphed against Struff in the fourth duel for the third time in a row. “It was difficult, I struggled with my emotions. I’m really happy that I showed mentality in the end and got the win,” said Alcaraz in his first reaction on the pitch. In the fight for a place in the semi-finals he will now face Andrej Rublev (RUS/7), who won against Tallon Griekspoor (NED/24) 6:2 6:4.
Jannik Sinner, second in the world rankings, also had to put in an extra shift. The 22-year-old Italian, number one after Serbia’s Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Masters in Madrid, defeated number 16 seeded Russian Karen Khachanow 5:7 6:3 6:3 after losing a set. Sinner’s next opponent is the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who surprisingly defeated the number five seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud 6:4 7:5.
Zverev suffers “confusing” bankruptcy
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Alexander Zverev, number four in the tournament, has been eliminated. The 27-year-old German clearly lost his round of 16 match against Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (ATP No. 229) 3:6 4:6. Cerundolo’s next opponent is Taylor Fritz (USA/12), who had the upper hand in the duel with Hubert Hurkacz (POL/8) with 7:6 (7/2) 6:4. Zverev won the clay court tournament in the Spanish capital in 2018 and 2021 and had already reached the quarter-finals five times.
Zverev surprisingly out in the Madrid round of 16
Alexander Zverev was eliminated in the round of 16 at the ATP 1000 tournament in Madrid. The two-time tournament winner (2018, 2021) from Germany surprisingly lost to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 3:6 4:6 in the round of 16.
“This is disappointing for me because it is in Madrid. “This is a tournament that I really enjoy and where I have the feeling that I can always win,” said Zverev on Sky. “It’s confusing for me when I have the ball on my racket like this and then I lose 3:6 4:6.” He served hard and confidently and “still felt a little bit without a chance on the court,” said the German: “I haven’t had that in my tennis career for a long time.”
First set loss for Swiatek
In the women’s competition, the top seed from Poland, Iga Swiatek, was the first player to reach the semi-finals. However, if the world number one only lost one game against the Spaniard Sorribes Tormo on Monday, she had to fight hard against Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA/11) in the quarter-finals on Tuesday and won 4:6 6:0 6:2 after being down one set. Swiatek’s next opponent, who is aiming for her third Masters triumph in Madrid after Doha and Indian Wells in 2024, is now the American Madison Keys, who after a complete false start beat the Tunisian Ons Jabeur 0:6 7:5 6:1 defeated.
ATP 1000 tournament in Madrid
(Spain, 9,249,713 euros, clay court)
Round of 16 tableau: Jannik Sinner (ITA/1) Karen Chatschanow (RUS/16) 5:7 6:3 6:3 Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) Casper Ruud (NOR/5) 6:4 7:5 Daniil Medvedev ( RUS/3) Alexander Bublik (KAZ/17) 7:6 (7/3) 6:4 Jiri Lehecka (CZE/30) Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7:5 6:4 Taylor Fritz (USA/12) Hubert Hurkacz ( POL/8) 7:6 (7/2) 6:4 Francisco Cerundolo (ARG/21) Alexander Zverev (GER/4) 6:3 6:4 Andrej Rublew (RUS/7) Tallon Griekspoor (NED/24) 6 :2 6:4 Carlos Alcaraz (ESP/2) Jan-Lennard Struff (GER/23) 6:3 6:7 (5/7) 7:6 (7/4) Third round table: Jannik Sinner (ITA/1) Pawel Kotow (RUS) 6:2 7:5 Karen Chatschanow (RUS/16) Flavio Cobolli (ITA) 7:5 6:4 Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) Jakub Mensik (CZE) 6:1 1:0 ret. Casper Ruud (NOR/5) Cameron Norrie (GBR/29) 6:2 6:4 Daniil Medvedev (RUS/3) Sebastian Korda (USA/25) 5:7 7:6 (7/4) 6:3 Alexander Bublik (KAZ/17) Ben Shelton (USA/14) 3:6 7:6 (7/2) 6:4 Rafael Nadal (ESP) Pedro Cachin (ARG) 6:1 6:7 (5/7) 6:3 Jiri Lehecka (CZE/30) Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6:4 7:6 (9/7) Hubert Hurkacz (POL/8) Daniel Altmaier (GER) 6:4 7:6 (7/2) Taylor Fritz (USA /12) Sebastian Baez (ARG/18) 6:2 6:3 Francisco Cerundolo (ARG/21) Tommy Paul (USA/15) 6:7 (7/9) 6:4 6:2 Alexander Zverev (GER/4 ) Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 6:4 7:5 Andrej Rublev (RUS/7) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP/27) 7:6 (12/10) 6:4 Tallon Griekspoor (NED/24) Holger Rune (DEN/ 11) 6:4 4:6 6:3 Jan-Lennard Struff (GER/23) Ugo Humbert (FRA/13) 7:5 6:4 Carlos Alcaraz (ESP/2) Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) 6:3 6 :3
WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid
(Spain, 7,679,965 euros, clay court)
Final Table: Iga Swiatek (POL/1) Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA/11) 4:6 6:0 6:2 Madison Keys (USA/18) Ons Jabeur (TUN/8) 0:6 7:5 6: 1 Jelena Rybakina (KAZ/4) Julia Putinzewa (KAZ) -:- -:- Aryna Sabalenka (BLR/2) Mirra Andrejewa (RUS) -:- -:- Final Table: Iga Swiatek (POL/1) Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 6:1 6:0 Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA/11) Maria Sakkari (GRE/5) 6:4 6:4 Madison Keys (USA/18) Coco Gauff (USA/3) 7:6 (7). /4) 4:6 6:4 Ons Jaber (TUN/8) Jelena Ostapenko (LAT/9) 6:0 6:4 Julia Putinzewa (KAZ) Darja Kasatkina (RUS/10) 3:6 6:2 6:2 Jelena Rybakina (KAZ/4) Sara Bejlek (CZE) 6:1 6:3 Mirra Andrejewa (RUS) Jasmine Paolini (ITA/12) 7:6 (7/2) 6:4 Aryna Sabalenka (BLR/2) Danielle Collins (USA/13) 4:6 6:4 6:3
