Alcaraz and Nadal Shine in Madrid: A Recap of the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open

Mural of Alcaraz and Nadal in Madrid (TVBOY)

The 2024 Mutua Madrid Open has been extremely lucky to have in its final draw the two tennis players that the fans present at the Caja Mágica were most eager to see: Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. The first, for being one of the greatest legends that the sport of racquet has ever known and the top winner of the tournament (five titles), as well as, quite possibly, the best Spanish athlete of all time. The second, for being the most notable heir of the Balearic Islands among the current ‘Armada’, with two Grand Slams in his pocket despite being only 21 years old and with a promising future ahead of him. None has taken the trophy, but no one has attracted more attention than them at the Manolo Santana Stadium.

The most famous moment of this edition of the event will belong, without a doubt, to Nadal. It is what he has to have starred in his last dance in the Spanish capital, which lasted, not bad a few days after returning to the courts, until the round of 16. Darwin Blanch, Alex de Miñaur (there was a vendetta after Barcelona) and Pedro Cachín fell at the hands of Rafa, who was stopped by Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round. In a night session in which the winner of 22 Grand Slams was eliminated with honor, the how was more important: only he, the great legend, was able to hold back his tears when he was paid a more than well-deserved tribute for his career in Madrid .

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On the other hand, Alcaraz advanced one round more than his idol, until the quarterfinals. After a month of absence from the circuit due to the problems in his right forearm that have been weighing him down, the Murcian reappeared with enthusiasm to defend the 2022 and 2023 events. Along the way, Alexander Shevchenko, Thiago Seyboth Wild and Jan-Lennard Struff were left, in the reissue of the last final that crowned him at the Madrid headquarters. But the physical effort that this demanding match demanded took its toll on him in another important duel, which meant his farewell at the hands of Andrey Rublev in the penultimate round.

Nadal in Madrid (REUTERS/Susana Vera)

From more to less on that day, the bad feelings that Carlitos had later translated into his resignation from Rome, the worst news. “I felt pain after playing in Madrid, discomfort in my arm. Today I had some tests and I have muscle edema in the pronator teres, a consequence of my last injury. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play in Rome. “I need rest to recover and be able to play 100% without pain,” acknowledged Alcaraz, who has missed the entire clay court tour except Madrid (he was also absent from Monte Carlo and Barcelona) before the highlight of the tour arrives: Roland Garros.

It is the great Parisian who obsesses both the one from El Palmar, who defends the semi-finals, and the one from Manacor, its undisputed king and who fights to say goodbye to Philippe Chatrier by competing, not with a cold statement. That is why Nadal does intend, as long as nothing goes wrong, to play in Rome, where he wants to decide if he sees himself capable of being in the French capital and doing so at a decent level. While it is decided whether both he and Alcaraz will be in trouble today, the next update of the ATP ranking will be quite kind to both.

In some way, it will benefit Alcaraz that two of his biggest rivals also have physical mishaps at the moment. This is the case of Jannik Sinner, number two in the world and who had to withdraw from Madrid before even playing the quarterfinals due to a hip injury that leaves him out of Rome, just like what happens to Carlitos. The Italian will now have 8,860 points, adding 200 after passing through Spain.

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Another one for whom things have not gone well on Madrid soil has been Daniil Medvedev. The Russian, fourth in the world, also reached the quarterfinals, retiring in the middle of the match against Lehecka, as soon as he lost the first set, due to the adductor muscle, which scared him and put his presence in Rome at risk. He will have 7,195 points, adding 110 at Mutua.

Between Sinner and Medvedev, there is Alcaraz, third classified and who will lose a considerable score, 800, by not equaling what he previously achieved in Madrid. He will remain at 7,345 points, with Medvedev on the prowl (just 150) and Sinner further away (1,515). As for Novak Djokovic, who will rejoin the tennis course at the Foro Italico, he leads the ATP with 9,990 points, which allows him to keep Carlitos (2,645) at bay, among others.

Alcaraz in Madrid (EFE/JuanJo Martín)

Alcaraz, therefore, remains as it was. Not so for Nadal who has risen greatly in the table, thanks to the competitive improvement that he has experienced in Madrid. Having added 100 points in his farewell to the Caja Mágica will take him to 175, which will allow him to go from 512th place to 305th. A rise of 207 positions that could go even further if Rafa can continue progressing in Rome.

2024-05-05 17:52:00
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