Local favourites Carlos Alcaraz & Rafael Nadal were knocked out of the Madrid Open to the disappointment of the home crowd. Wimbledon Champion Alcaraz was bidding for a third consecutive title in the Spanish capital but was beaten by seventh seed Andrey Rublev. After winning the first set the Spaniard was pegged back by the Rublev and was finally defeated 4-6 6-3 6-2.
Nadal had an emotional night against Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka. Having already announced it would be his final appearance at the event, Nadal was aiming to add to his record five titles in Madrid. The 22-time Grand Slam Champion lost in straight sets 7-5 6-4 to Lehecka.
After the match the crowd paid tribute to Nadal with his family member in tears in the player’s box. He said he intends to play in Rome before targeting the French Open. The King of Clay wants to give himself one last opportunity to add to his incredible 14 titles in Paris.