All winners are alike, each loser is unhappy in his own way. Admittedly, that sounds a lot like the sentence with which the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy began his novel “Anna Karenina” and referred to family fates. Modified and applied to sporting joy or suffering, the formulation appears no less apt, as was experienced at the tennis tournament in Madrid.
There, the spectators saw different types of losers on Wednesday: a perplexed one like Alexander Zverev, who, after losing in the round of 16 against the Argentinian Franciso Cerundolo, found it “confusing” “when I have the ball in my racket like that when I serve at 227 km/h and then lose 3:6, 4:6,” as he said in the Sky interview.
Zverev’s compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff was the happy loser after he put up a great fight with Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 3:6, 7:6, 6:7 and was in an “overall very positive mood” afterwards. And then there was the loser of the day, who was celebrated by all spectators and brought many to tears.
“Today is an unforgettable day”
Rafael Nadal said goodbye to his compatriots after his 5:7, 4:6 defeat against Czech Jiri Lehecka. The round of 16 was probably the last professional match that the almost 38-year-old played on a clay court in his homeland; unless he is used again in the Davis Cup. “It’s a difficult day when it’s here, but it’s the reality,” said the 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner, while members of his family and team in the stands moistened their eyes.
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On the one hand, because of the wistful, occasionally funny words of the champion, whom everyone knows and loves as “Rafa”. On the other hand, when five large banners rolled down from the upper tier of the stands, commemorating each of Nadal’s triumphs in Madrid, and videos of his matches were played at the same time. “Today is an unforgettable day,” said the Mallorcan.
Things will continue to be similarly emotionally intense for the Spaniard and his fans, next week in Rome, where Nadal will compete as a ten-time tournament winner. If his upward sporting trend continues there after a long injury break, the biggest farewell party of all will probably be in Paris: at the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, which begins at the end of May, Nadal is the greatest player in history.
But whether he competes there, where he won an incredible 14 individual titles, depends on his performance in Rome. But there would be another opportunity to say goodbye to your favorite stage. at the Summer Olympics in Paris, where Nadal plans to compete in doubles with Alcaraz for Spain.
