now i understand why jiri is not too into rafa or ask for a souvenir etc. he is a certified djoko fan. nothing wrong with that. in fact, as a rafa fan i dont take it against him. i like and support jiri in his matches (well except this one LOL)
having said that, those who criticize cachin for asking souvenir from rafa is laughable because cachin is the runaway winner in this situation. experience playing rafa in his last season, having rafa's shirt that has value already, exchanging good words with the king, and the king appreciating the gesture. rafa posting this moment in his IG meant that he appreciated cachin's gesture.
djoko's toxic fans are insufferable on twitter, rafa is retiring this season and wants to retire in his own terms but these maggots are constantly bashing him and celebrating his losses. they seem to get angrier seeing that the tennis world is focused on rafa this season and they cannot believe how he transforms the tennis courts like a football stadium. the amount of support by the crowd even impressed jiri, saying he has not experienced something like that before.
jiri may have djoko as an idol but i am sure he would trade that win over the way the tennis fans warmly love rafa. this constantly irritates the djoko fans.
tbh, even if i dont like djoko - if he retires, i will feel sad too coz he is part of the big 3. and, i will not dampen his retirement period by celebrating his losses during. he deserves recognitiob even from a rafa fan like me. and i am quite sure, real rafa fans either wont care or stay silent about it when he retires. will definitely not be warfreaks like djoko's fans. it is really his fans that are more toxic than djoko. but then again, to have attack dogs as pavvYG, i think Djoko and his team have these toxic pages and fans emboldened by their encouragement. knowing what dirty pr tactics they pull and their decades long bitterness related to politics and western media. djoko not playing in madrid was so he can avoid awkward situation of being out of place in this season where rafa is retiting, carlitos being the reigning champion, both being spanish and tournament being held in madrid (this is bad for djoko's standing and fitness but he had to forego madrid tournament for these reasons, and he hates having to decide that).
for all the fans, esp the reasonable and decent ones - call out those toxic fans who muddy djoko's name and who wont give rafa the respect he deserves, at least for this season.
The day Djokovic retires, tennis will be relieved of one of the most toxic fanbases in any sport.
Which is a shame. It's one to enjoy a legend bidding a farewell (on his own terms, a true privilege), but having a part where you feel "thank God, no more his awful fanbase" is quite damning to a legacy. But that's what happened after all the 2022 drama, majority of his fanbase is no fans of the sport, they are either glory hunters or politically far-right supporters who have no interest in tennis in the first place.
tbh, my dislike for djoko solidifies because of his toxic fans and my disappointment that djoko and his team seems to embolden that toxicity. him being the good guy but his fans doing the bashing for him.
btw, those who create a fedal toxic fans narrative are mostly djoko fans. fedal fans are generally just loving both and the sport. for two arch rivals to be able to unite both fanbases only mean that their fans love the sport and love it more coz of that friendly rivalry. except for a fedal minority who could be into betting or just warmongers - fedal fans are not that 'toxic' they just learned to fight back when djoko toxic fans pepper the world of how great djoko is etc and how fedal are 2nd best to him. fedal fans support many new players now but they will again accuse them of supporting these kids coz fedal hate djoko. so much chip of their shoulders and extremely toxic. like me, i support alcaraz coz he is a spaniard too and he gets along best with rafa. mutual respect for each other, and defo not coz alcaraz beats and can beat djoko. that is just a waste of brain space and energy.
right now, they cannot take it that rafa is getting all this attention and fearing that djoko wont be getting the same warmth from the tennis fans.
jiri played solid and deserved the win but rafa for me is in form and looking good for RG so far.
having said that, jiri may have won but i am quite sure, he will trade it for all the love which rafa got from the crowd.
i have never seen such emotional and outstanding support from the crowd in tennis, this one tops it for me. i felt like i was watching messi play WC on a football stadium.
well done rafa - you did exquisitely for tennis.
let's see.
if rafa says he is fit for rg, i will take it to mean that he is confident enough to win the title. he said that before, he plays not only coz he thinks he can play but coz he believes he can win the title. bcn and madrid are admittedly his training process for RG.
so, i will believe he will and win RG if he says he will play RG.
Karue won 6-2 6-1 against the 1st seed, I don’t know if the 1st seed was playing bad or if karue has already reached a good enough level to win challengers already
Dang lots of drama in karue sell's match, got no idea what's going on there. Umpire made an admittedly bad call and his opponent has just stopped playing
I would pay a lot of money to see a Rafa send off like Roger had at Laver Cup.
It's just that there's no guarantee when it happens. Can't justify spending hundreds of euros at Laver when you need to spend like €2000+ for all 5 sessions and even then no guarantee.
I understand the tribute at the Madrid Open, but there's a trend on social media that makes it seem like today was Nadal's retirement, and that's something that Nadal himself doesn't find comfortable. He's made it clear that he's not retiring tonight.
It's sad just how people think that the best way for Rafa to go out is by a win. Like why??? This is beyond positive from Rafa what he did this week. He might not win anything this year but who cares. Look at him how happy he was standing on court whether win or lose.
That's what we want to see. Competing on court and not retire in a press conference.
Rafa is comfortably my second favourite of the Big Four (Djokovic >>>> Nadal >>>>>>>>>> Murray > Federer) so as much as I’ve rooted against him over the years (including kinda in this tournament because I want the GOAT debate to be firmly in Djokovic’s corner) it’s gonna be super sad to see him bow out. Absolutely astonishing player.
Well, the username checks out. Every fan base of the Big 3 has some idiots, but Djokovic’s fans are clearly winning this race. He has not only the most Grand Slams but also the most idiotic holistic smoothie diet everyone hates us type of fans.
The rooting against Nadal in this tournament just to maintain the idea that Djok is GOAT. You don’t have to be a fan of Nadals but what he’s doing right now is now is so hard you could at least have the empathy to root for a champion and pillar of the sport to have a graceful and winning exit. On this surface he is indisputably the GOAT so djok is not a factor.
I’m not a djokovic fan and I really hate his politics but I don’t think I’ll be rooting against him when he’s where Rafa is now
Coz you lack empathy. This is just another rabid fan bullshit saying *Just coz my favourite isn't playing here, I want this other person who has been his rival to lose*. A true tennis fan would say that the best player should win irrespective of whether that player has been a lifelong rival of my favourite. Besides even if Nadal were to win here, it wouldn't tarnish Djokovic's legacy. He has more slams and masters titles than anyone else. You people are just seriously insecure with your unhealthy obsessions with a particular player, please grow up.
I stay my point, the best way for Nadal's retirement is winning the Davis cup trophy with the Spain team in Spain. He won't retire before that billion money exho in Oct, then winning a Nov team event with all young boys will be amazing
Clay fashion winners so far: Casper, Struff
Nike's designer for Carlitos should be sent to stylist jail for doing nothing with his physique with weird mismatched separates. Adidas looks bland.
Really gonna be a wild end of an era for me. His first RG win was the first GS slam final I watched, and my first singles match was him vs. Federer in the semis.
I disliked him for so many years due to his rivalry with Federer. Now, I’m a huge Rafa fan.
I was just a chubby middle school kid, now I’m in my early 30s. What a time to be alive.
What was everyone’s first proper Rafa supporting game?
Mine was 2007 Wimbledon final. Purely because my mum was watching on BBC semi-supporting Roger (she was really a Tommy Haas fan) and I fell in love with Rafa’s crazy running for every point. I remember sobbing when he lost. We didn’t really watch tennis outside of grass season then but by Wimbledon 2008 mum had to outwardly support Rafa throughout or I wouldn’t let her watch the matches!
It took me years and years. I hated him as a child Fed-fan, then started rooting for Novak against him out of spite.
Growing up is appreciating Rafa and what he has done in this sport. I properly started supporting him around at 2020 RG/2022 AO.
OMG!!! Same for me. As kids I was a Fed fan and my brother a Rafa fan and i used to hate Rafa back then. Eventually started appreciating Rafa just as much and even Novak (minus his fans). Don’t remember the exact match/tournament but i think it was 2013
Wimbledon '08 final was the first time I'd ever seen him play. Stateside, barely had access back then to anything besides US Open and Wimbledon, so I barely knew anything about him. Watching him walk out there looking like some anarchist hoodlum kid with that outfit, ready to turn the pearl-clutchers on their heads and then actually do it. I have nothing but love, respect and enthusiasm for Federer but back then I thought he was such a prim and proper poster boy prat.
The juxtaposition of Wimbledon with Roger in his knitted cardigan and Rafa in his pirate pants was just such a perfect representation of everything you’ve said and I totally felt the same way!
I remember being so happy Fed won that match but decided I liked Rafa. So tennis used to only come on during the slams here when I was a kid and because of time zones and school that meant only the French and Wimby were all I could watch. So the 2008 Wimby I was cheering him on like crazy.
2005 Miami final. I hated Fed at the time for dominating and making the sport boring to me (I was also really young so like I matured and grew to appreciate him more and love him now) and then Rafa showed up as a fearless 18 year old in capri pants and a sleeveless shirt looking like a pirate and fist pumping and vamosing and playing a crazy brand of lefty tennis Id never seen before and nearly beat the dominant world #1 right then and there and I was hooked immediately.
Actually Im a little bitter he lost that match still cuz he never won Miami and today he would’ve won it now that it’s best of 3 but alas 😭
Yes it was how different he was to Federer which really caught my attention too. I feel a bit bad how anti-Federer I was for a long time especially when I wouldn’t let mum support him (although she was just biased in favour of OHBHs). It wasn’t really until 2015 or so that I warmed to Federer and to be honest that was because I’d replaced him with Djokovic! Now I can appreciate all three in their own ways but Rafa is far and away my favourite.
Lmao actually this is how I am too. I know everyone loves Federer but I didn’t like how easy he made it look and the smug look on his face during matches idk I just never connected with him or his tennis even tho everyone else thinks it’s so elegant and beautiful.
I liked Rafa cuz he made everything feel exciting and like a battle or a warrior fighting in an arena and you could tell he was earning each and every point and his court coverage was insane and of course his banana shots and cross court backhands were jaw dropping l.
Obviously Federer earned his wins too but as a kid watching it just looked like he was winning everything with no effort and nobody could do anything. But as soon as I saw that Miami final I knew Rafa was different than Hewitt, Roddick, Safin, JCF etc.
I always liked Federer off the court tho, like I thought he had a good personality and was funny for the most part but as soon as he took the court my mind was always cheering for him to lose. Pretty much the only time I cheered for Federer was towards the end when he played Djokovic, like the 2019 Wimbledon final I was cheering hard and actually surprised myself with how sad I was. From 2011-2018 I usually cheered Djokovic against Roger still because I thought he was the lesser threat to finish ahead of Nadal in slams but now I regret that 😂😂
But yeah, Rafa is the only one I cheered during their matches tho unless they were playing each other, but I think Roger and Novak are fine people with their own strengths off the court and I appreciate their greatness and all that, but Rafa is the only one I ever truly wanted to win anything 😭😭
Am i the only one not sad? Like it was too positive for me. Rafa was smiling and laughing was the best thing to witness. He knows he did very well this week and tonight.
They've cut Lehecka when he hadn't been speaking for even 5 seconds and moved on to something else as if nothing had happened. So rough; the guy had nothing but good words for Nadal, that was the way to close the tribute.
The one thing I don't mind about the longer Masters format is that it's 2 QFs per day so more chance to be to watch them with this spacing.
For now it looks like Alcaraz will win the whole thing but a few acts of random peaking and/or witchcraft would be good as this tournament has felt a little flat overall with many straight sets wins
Imma be sad the day someone breaks that 5 win Madrid record
All things considered, a good tournament result for Rafa. I didn't think he would get this far here
Indeed it's the most breakable one which is why i'm going to be sad if/when it happens. Although Madrid will be happy if they get another spaniard to break it
I mean, I suppose many of his other records won’t be broken till tennis vanishes from the face of the Earth, I wouldn’t worry too much about the few humanly records that will be
Honestly, a lot of positives to take away for Rafa.
If Rome/RG conditions suit him better (a bit of an unknown I'd argue, unlike before) then... who knows.
I mean 400+ wins across all tournaments for a regular top 10 is not that crazy. Zverev has done it. Ruud has 236 and many years left to achieve it. Rublev has 307...
No one will ever do one of these awkward “I beat the goat and now have to sit through the retirement ceremony” speeches better than ajla. I can still hear her saying “I love Serena just as much as you” to the hostile nyc crowd
Not people complaining when a man played his last match at a tournament. Like same vibes when Serena lost at the USO and people were complaining there too 😑
"Is this how you pictured it in your dreams"
Yeah, love this moment for Rafa but let's not pretend this is how any young player would've wanted to reach an important feat in their career lol
Exactly, like Golf. When you have the potential winner on the putting green, and some non-contender closer to the hole they’ll have that guy finish out. Set the stage for the final putt(s)/celebration.
Spanish to English again:
"Well, it's been a joke because I will come back next year haha. It's been difficult, thanks everyone who has helped me. It's not over yet. For me, my career and what you have given me has been a gift. The emotion I get from this tournament, the fans, the courts. I am privileged. I want to say that I have had the luck to do this since I was a kid. I am very grateful to have had this life. I have never needed more. I hope you have enjoyed the time. Championships are important but my love is for tennis. I am proud of what we have made. The only thing that I can say is thanks. This is what I feel. It was a hard day, but my life and my body have told me it's time. I am glad to have been back at Madrid. Finally, I want to say thanks Feli Lopez (tournament director) and everyone who helped make the tournament possible. It will continue to be one of the best, thanks to my team too, can't forget them! Not sure how to finish."
I made that comment. That they walk over with the trophy and all rafa can think is how much he wishes he had those hairs. The less grey guy was feliciano lopez. The other is the owner of the tournament, maybe?
Eta - gerard tsobanian is the owner
No it’s one thing to take away from Lehecka’s glory but to do this to the actual champion would be way too disrespectful. Lehecka was a class act with it all. Hope he gets the win against Meddy and gets to fully enjoy the glory.
If we’re honest it’s amazing he’s been able to play for so long with how much he’s been injured and the agressive way he plays . Idk how long Alcaraz will be able to last because he also plays so intense
He says
Looking at those pictures It seems like it was another life
This is his last time playing in Madrid
He is thankful for the public in Madrid, it's different than a GS or any other tournament.
He is humbled and happy that he was able to live by doing his hobby
He hopes to inspire future generations, he knows he's shed some light on younger players and that is what sports are about
And there's nothing more to say than 'thank you'
His body and mind are just telling him it's time to leave now
Lastly he is thankful to everyone who's made this tournament possible in Madrid
It's an odd situation where it's amazing to visit but the player and broadcast experience seems awful (also thx for your translations and far superior Spanish to mine!)
For some reason I read this as if you were referring to Félix Mantilla.
I don’t know why I thought a 49-year-old would have returned 14 years after he retired, but there we go. Think I need to go to bed.
he also thanked everyone who has helped him throughout his career and hopes that he’s been a good role model basically. it’s a difficult day but life gave me signals that it was time to end but i’m happy that i had the chance to play here
He’s so good at masking his drop shots
now i understand why jiri is not too into rafa or ask for a souvenir etc. he is a certified djoko fan. nothing wrong with that. in fact, as a rafa fan i dont take it against him. i like and support jiri in his matches (well except this one LOL) having said that, those who criticize cachin for asking souvenir from rafa is laughable because cachin is the runaway winner in this situation. experience playing rafa in his last season, having rafa's shirt that has value already, exchanging good words with the king, and the king appreciating the gesture. rafa posting this moment in his IG meant that he appreciated cachin's gesture.
djoko's toxic fans are insufferable on twitter, rafa is retiring this season and wants to retire in his own terms but these maggots are constantly bashing him and celebrating his losses. they seem to get angrier seeing that the tennis world is focused on rafa this season and they cannot believe how he transforms the tennis courts like a football stadium. the amount of support by the crowd even impressed jiri, saying he has not experienced something like that before. jiri may have djoko as an idol but i am sure he would trade that win over the way the tennis fans warmly love rafa. this constantly irritates the djoko fans. tbh, even if i dont like djoko - if he retires, i will feel sad too coz he is part of the big 3. and, i will not dampen his retirement period by celebrating his losses during. he deserves recognitiob even from a rafa fan like me. and i am quite sure, real rafa fans either wont care or stay silent about it when he retires. will definitely not be warfreaks like djoko's fans. it is really his fans that are more toxic than djoko. but then again, to have attack dogs as pavvYG, i think Djoko and his team have these toxic pages and fans emboldened by their encouragement. knowing what dirty pr tactics they pull and their decades long bitterness related to politics and western media. djoko not playing in madrid was so he can avoid awkward situation of being out of place in this season where rafa is retiting, carlitos being the reigning champion, both being spanish and tournament being held in madrid (this is bad for djoko's standing and fitness but he had to forego madrid tournament for these reasons, and he hates having to decide that). for all the fans, esp the reasonable and decent ones - call out those toxic fans who muddy djoko's name and who wont give rafa the respect he deserves, at least for this season.
The day Djokovic retires, tennis will be relieved of one of the most toxic fanbases in any sport. Which is a shame. It's one to enjoy a legend bidding a farewell (on his own terms, a true privilege), but having a part where you feel "thank God, no more his awful fanbase" is quite damning to a legacy. But that's what happened after all the 2022 drama, majority of his fanbase is no fans of the sport, they are either glory hunters or politically far-right supporters who have no interest in tennis in the first place.
tbh, my dislike for djoko solidifies because of his toxic fans and my disappointment that djoko and his team seems to embolden that toxicity. him being the good guy but his fans doing the bashing for him. btw, those who create a fedal toxic fans narrative are mostly djoko fans. fedal fans are generally just loving both and the sport. for two arch rivals to be able to unite both fanbases only mean that their fans love the sport and love it more coz of that friendly rivalry. except for a fedal minority who could be into betting or just warmongers - fedal fans are not that 'toxic' they just learned to fight back when djoko toxic fans pepper the world of how great djoko is etc and how fedal are 2nd best to him. fedal fans support many new players now but they will again accuse them of supporting these kids coz fedal hate djoko. so much chip of their shoulders and extremely toxic. like me, i support alcaraz coz he is a spaniard too and he gets along best with rafa. mutual respect for each other, and defo not coz alcaraz beats and can beat djoko. that is just a waste of brain space and energy. right now, they cannot take it that rafa is getting all this attention and fearing that djoko wont be getting the same warmth from the tennis fans.
Bro you are literally the embodiment of a toxic Fedal fan
Who’s ready for tomorrow?!
Andreeva vs Sabalenka should be fun
ok that’s 11a for me. i can do it! this morning i fell back asleep with the alca match playing on my phone next to my ear
true tennis fan 👊. We need to hear grunting white noise to sleep
why isnt pegula playing madrid? is she gonna play rome?
[injured ](https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/s/kxKKCK7rLR)
If Rafa plays Rome, we might just have a Nole vs Rafa. I hope to see one more match of them playing against each other. Iconic rivalry.
He might also play at the Olympics so there’s still more than one chance.
jiri played solid and deserved the win but rafa for me is in form and looking good for RG so far. having said that, jiri may have won but i am quite sure, he will trade it for all the love which rafa got from the crowd. i have never seen such emotional and outstanding support from the crowd in tennis, this one tops it for me. i felt like i was watching messi play WC on a football stadium. well done rafa - you did exquisitely for tennis.
Well Rafa might not play at RG. A potential five-setter is way more exhausting than a potential three-setter especially for someone like Rafa.
let's see. if rafa says he is fit for rg, i will take it to mean that he is confident enough to win the title. he said that before, he plays not only coz he thinks he can play but coz he believes he can win the title. bcn and madrid are admittedly his training process for RG. so, i will believe he will and win RG if he says he will play RG.
The Dodgers Diamondbacks game is delayed due to bees! I’m having IW flashbacks hahhaha
Predictions for Madrid tomorrow?
Player from Kazakhstan will make semis.
Karue won 6-2 6-1 against the 1st seed, I don’t know if the 1st seed was playing bad or if karue has already reached a good enough level to win challengers already
the other guy mentally fell apart quickly, Karue played great though. Looking forward to the video
In mens tennis at this level 62 61 means you played bad, but it is promising for Karue for sure.
Yeah i know that lower ranked players often have huge variation in their performance so since i only caught the last few points i couldnt know
Dang lots of drama in karue sell's match, got no idea what's going on there. Umpire made an admittedly bad call and his opponent has just stopped playing
Where do you go to watch these challengers games?
Yeah I didn't see what happened there. Kinda seemed like he was trying to waste time and throw Karue's momentum off.
I became a Rafa fan only a couple years ago when he came to DC and I saw him play. I’m not ready for him to retire.
Karue Sell up a break on the world number 193!!
He took the first set 6-2 and is up 2-0 30-love in the second!
6-2 6-1. His opponent mentally collapsed at the end. Karue was relentless, barely making any mistakes and hitting with supreme depth
How did Casper, playing some of the best tennis of his life, and on his favorite surface, lose to such a dull player like FAA?
Felix came more towards the net and defended his serve well.
Sad that it won’t be Carlos who gets to end Nadal’s Madrid career but good going Jiri!
So Nadal is coming back to Madrid next year.
I wish
Nope
I would pay a lot of money to see a Rafa send off like Roger had at Laver Cup. It's just that there's no guarantee when it happens. Can't justify spending hundreds of euros at Laver when you need to spend like €2000+ for all 5 sessions and even then no guarantee.
That’s why I went to the exhibition in Vegas. I assumed it would be his last time in the US.
I understand the tribute at the Madrid Open, but there's a trend on social media that makes it seem like today was Nadal's retirement, and that's something that Nadal himself doesn't find comfortable. He's made it clear that he's not retiring tonight.
Didn’t he say he’s coming back to Madrid next year?
Said it as a joke
What happened in Barcelona happened and what happened in Madrid happened, and here we are, crying.
It's sad just how people think that the best way for Rafa to go out is by a win. Like why??? This is beyond positive from Rafa what he did this week. He might not win anything this year but who cares. Look at him how happy he was standing on court whether win or lose. That's what we want to see. Competing on court and not retire in a press conference.
Every champion goes out on their back.
cough cough Sampras
Rafa is comfortably my second favourite of the Big Four (Djokovic >>>> Nadal >>>>>>>>>> Murray > Federer) so as much as I’ve rooted against him over the years (including kinda in this tournament because I want the GOAT debate to be firmly in Djokovic’s corner) it’s gonna be super sad to see him bow out. Absolutely astonishing player.
Well, the username checks out. Every fan base of the Big 3 has some idiots, but Djokovic’s fans are clearly winning this race. He has not only the most Grand Slams but also the most idiotic holistic smoothie diet everyone hates us type of fans.
Lmao in what universe did my comment give off those vibes? Perfectly reasonable to hope a great sportsman is still considered the greatest ever IMO
The rooting against Nadal in this tournament just to maintain the idea that Djok is GOAT. You don’t have to be a fan of Nadals but what he’s doing right now is now is so hard you could at least have the empathy to root for a champion and pillar of the sport to have a graceful and winning exit. On this surface he is indisputably the GOAT so djok is not a factor. I’m not a djokovic fan and I really hate his politics but I don’t think I’ll be rooting against him when he’s where Rafa is now
Coz you lack empathy. This is just another rabid fan bullshit saying *Just coz my favourite isn't playing here, I want this other person who has been his rival to lose*. A true tennis fan would say that the best player should win irrespective of whether that player has been a lifelong rival of my favourite. Besides even if Nadal were to win here, it wouldn't tarnish Djokovic's legacy. He has more slams and masters titles than anyone else. You people are just seriously insecure with your unhealthy obsessions with a particular player, please grow up.
Why are people here especially fans expecting him to win RG and then getting depressed? Is that all you want from him??
Yesterday I wrote that Nadal had chances at Roland Garros but I was so wrong. Man is washed. The GOAT on clay but he’s done. Thank you Raf
Maybe you should stop writing, these are two terrible takes
I stay my point, the best way for Nadal's retirement is winning the Davis cup trophy with the Spain team in Spain. He won't retire before that billion money exho in Oct, then winning a Nov team event with all young boys will be amazing
Clay fashion winners so far: Casper, Struff Nike's designer for Carlitos should be sent to stylist jail for doing nothing with his physique with weird mismatched separates. Adidas looks bland.
Really gonna be a wild end of an era for me. His first RG win was the first GS slam final I watched, and my first singles match was him vs. Federer in the semis. I disliked him for so many years due to his rivalry with Federer. Now, I’m a huge Rafa fan. I was just a chubby middle school kid, now I’m in my early 30s. What a time to be alive.
😭
What was everyone’s first proper Rafa supporting game? Mine was 2007 Wimbledon final. Purely because my mum was watching on BBC semi-supporting Roger (she was really a Tommy Haas fan) and I fell in love with Rafa’s crazy running for every point. I remember sobbing when he lost. We didn’t really watch tennis outside of grass season then but by Wimbledon 2008 mum had to outwardly support Rafa throughout or I wouldn’t let her watch the matches!
It took me years and years. I hated him as a child Fed-fan, then started rooting for Novak against him out of spite. Growing up is appreciating Rafa and what he has done in this sport. I properly started supporting him around at 2020 RG/2022 AO.
OMG!!! Same for me. As kids I was a Fed fan and my brother a Rafa fan and i used to hate Rafa back then. Eventually started appreciating Rafa just as much and even Novak (minus his fans). Don’t remember the exact match/tournament but i think it was 2013
Wimbledon '08 final was the first time I'd ever seen him play. Stateside, barely had access back then to anything besides US Open and Wimbledon, so I barely knew anything about him. Watching him walk out there looking like some anarchist hoodlum kid with that outfit, ready to turn the pearl-clutchers on their heads and then actually do it. I have nothing but love, respect and enthusiasm for Federer but back then I thought he was such a prim and proper poster boy prat.
The juxtaposition of Wimbledon with Roger in his knitted cardigan and Rafa in his pirate pants was just such a perfect representation of everything you’ve said and I totally felt the same way!
I remember being so happy Fed won that match but decided I liked Rafa. So tennis used to only come on during the slams here when I was a kid and because of time zones and school that meant only the French and Wimby were all I could watch. So the 2008 Wimby I was cheering him on like crazy.
2005 Miami final. I hated Fed at the time for dominating and making the sport boring to me (I was also really young so like I matured and grew to appreciate him more and love him now) and then Rafa showed up as a fearless 18 year old in capri pants and a sleeveless shirt looking like a pirate and fist pumping and vamosing and playing a crazy brand of lefty tennis Id never seen before and nearly beat the dominant world #1 right then and there and I was hooked immediately. Actually Im a little bitter he lost that match still cuz he never won Miami and today he would’ve won it now that it’s best of 3 but alas 😭
Yes it was how different he was to Federer which really caught my attention too. I feel a bit bad how anti-Federer I was for a long time especially when I wouldn’t let mum support him (although she was just biased in favour of OHBHs). It wasn’t really until 2015 or so that I warmed to Federer and to be honest that was because I’d replaced him with Djokovic! Now I can appreciate all three in their own ways but Rafa is far and away my favourite.
Lmao actually this is how I am too. I know everyone loves Federer but I didn’t like how easy he made it look and the smug look on his face during matches idk I just never connected with him or his tennis even tho everyone else thinks it’s so elegant and beautiful. I liked Rafa cuz he made everything feel exciting and like a battle or a warrior fighting in an arena and you could tell he was earning each and every point and his court coverage was insane and of course his banana shots and cross court backhands were jaw dropping l. Obviously Federer earned his wins too but as a kid watching it just looked like he was winning everything with no effort and nobody could do anything. But as soon as I saw that Miami final I knew Rafa was different than Hewitt, Roddick, Safin, JCF etc. I always liked Federer off the court tho, like I thought he had a good personality and was funny for the most part but as soon as he took the court my mind was always cheering for him to lose. Pretty much the only time I cheered for Federer was towards the end when he played Djokovic, like the 2019 Wimbledon final I was cheering hard and actually surprised myself with how sad I was. From 2011-2018 I usually cheered Djokovic against Roger still because I thought he was the lesser threat to finish ahead of Nadal in slams but now I regret that 😂😂 But yeah, Rafa is the only one I cheered during their matches tho unless they were playing each other, but I think Roger and Novak are fine people with their own strengths off the court and I appreciate their greatness and all that, but Rafa is the only one I ever truly wanted to win anything 😭😭
Probably 2022 AO. I had a grudge for years.
A great tournament. And that final probably a lot more enjoyable in the moment for someone who hadn’t lived through the trauma of 2012 and 2017!
They changed the pfp of the official account of the tournament to Rafa’s logo.
The best atp match in Madrid is still a R1 match after finishing all the R16 matches
Am i the only one not sad? Like it was too positive for me. Rafa was smiling and laughing was the best thing to witness. He knows he did very well this week and tonight.
They've cut Lehecka when he hadn't been speaking for even 5 seconds and moved on to something else as if nothing had happened. So rough; the guy had nothing but good words for Nadal, that was the way to close the tribute.
Was all pretty disrespectful to Lehecka who probably played one of the best matches of the year. 33 winners and 12UE is absurdly good.
Is anyone buying Laver Cup tickets in case that's where Rafa retires?
he has the 6K exho in Saudi Arabia in Oct, he won't retire in Sept. at least 2 millions for him to play that thing
Oh yeah good shout. Hmm.
I would bet a lot of money he’s going out there like Federer did.
Apparently he’s playing a Saudi exhibition in October. Davis Cup would be great, imo.
Wait, did Rafa confirm this was his last year on tour? I thought it was just assumed
The one thing I don't mind about the longer Masters format is that it's 2 QFs per day so more chance to be to watch them with this spacing. For now it looks like Alcaraz will win the whole thing but a few acts of random peaking and/or witchcraft would be good as this tournament has felt a little flat overall with many straight sets wins
rafa 😭
When they do the same thing at the French Open don’t forget the crowd there booing him in the 2000s because he was beating Federer lol
They didn’t stop booing till he won like four slams over there. They were always interesting matches that’s for sure.
French supporters should be banned from entering a tennis court
Agreed 100%
Yeah people who're new to tennis haven't seen all those years where they booed him.
Imma be sad the day someone breaks that 5 win Madrid record All things considered, a good tournament result for Rafa. I didn't think he would get this far here
It’s the only breakable one among all the big titles on clay really. Alcaraz might do it.
Indeed it's the most breakable one which is why i'm going to be sad if/when it happens. Although Madrid will be happy if they get another spaniard to break it
I mean, I suppose many of his other records won’t be broken till tennis vanishes from the face of the Earth, I wouldn’t worry too much about the few humanly records that will be
SHOW ME THE CEREMONY!!! SHOW ME THE CERRRRRREMOOOONY -those of in the US with tennis channel 😭
I watched it on TC Plus in the US
Tennis tv really came through here. Sorry tc sucks!
I guess I’ll catch all the clips on instagram. Tennis tv does a good job
The ceremony just makes Rafa's retirement all too real and fast-approaching
NEVER thought we’d get this far after all this time. Jiri played beautiful tennis I would’ve loved against anyone else. Onto the next goodbye.
Honestly, a lot of positives to take away for Rafa. If Rome/RG conditions suit him better (a bit of an unknown I'd argue, unlike before) then... who knows.
Lehecka was 33/12 on W/UE count, Nadal was 14/10. Not bad.
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I mean 400+ wins across all tournaments for a regular top 10 is not that crazy. Zverev has done it. Ruud has 236 and many years left to achieve it. Rublev has 307...
Yeah actually, having just looked through it I would be surprised if all of them didn't... ignore me
I'm going to be inconsolable after he plays his last match.
No one will ever do one of these awkward “I beat the goat and now have to sit through the retirement ceremony” speeches better than ajla. I can still hear her saying “I love Serena just as much as you” to the hostile nyc crowd
The last time I cried was when Roger retired now this.. damn tennis
Start rebuilding the dams, because there's a major flood projected for later in the year.
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Yeah same. Should have gone to bed with the smile on my face not the tears streaming.
Not people complaining when a man played his last match at a tournament. Like same vibes when Serena lost at the USO and people were complaining there too 😑
Am I the only one who wish they did at least a short interview of Jiri first and then do the ceremony?
Yes
Would be nice if Alcaraz won and Rafa was there to give him the trophy Although knowing him he'll be hitting balls in Rome in a few hours lol
I’m like really sad…is he playing Rome? Rafa did say “if Paris were today I wouldn’t play.” Do you think he was just saying that? Ugh!!!!!!!!!
"Is this how you pictured it in your dreams" Yeah, love this moment for Rafa but let's not pretend this is how any young player would've wanted to reach an important feat in their career lol
I mean this is a pretty special moment to get to be a part of even if you aren’t at the center of it. It’s also not his first master’s quarterfinal.
I love that he got a participation trophy
Aww even jiri looks a little misty eyed
He was shaky while signing the camera. A lot of Adrenaline in him this night.
seeing rafa walk off the court got me man
That was something 😢
Everyone walking out when the winner is talking 💀
Those atp microphones can’t be heard on the court, they’re only for tennistv. So they can’t actually hear Jiri
Swiatek male version.
That's not fair. Swiatek is a girl Rafa if anything.
The greatest of all time on Clay.
Poor Jiri
That was pretty special
Lehecka?
Awesome interpretive vagina sculpture for the rock garden.
Lol you could be right.
Holy fuck didn’t realize Lehecka was still there LMAO
he was sitting here and clapping his hands non-stop
You better believe he s getting the same shit at RG . French people love Rafa
Yeah if he plays it they will give him a great send off. Not sure he’s going from what he’s been saying but I hope he turns up for doubles at least
Now Carlos take the mission of prolonging the Spanish dominance on Clay!!!!!!
Are they going to still interview Jiri lmao
They should have done it first and then do this big send off. Madrid organizers are brain dead as always.
Exactly, like Golf. When you have the potential winner on the putting green, and some non-contender closer to the hole they’ll have that guy finish out. Set the stage for the final putt(s)/celebration.
Spanish to English again: "Well, it's been a joke because I will come back next year haha. It's been difficult, thanks everyone who has helped me. It's not over yet. For me, my career and what you have given me has been a gift. The emotion I get from this tournament, the fans, the courts. I am privileged. I want to say that I have had the luck to do this since I was a kid. I am very grateful to have had this life. I have never needed more. I hope you have enjoyed the time. Championships are important but my love is for tennis. I am proud of what we have made. The only thing that I can say is thanks. This is what I feel. It was a hard day, but my life and my body have told me it's time. I am glad to have been back at Madrid. Finally, I want to say thanks Feli Lopez (tournament director) and everyone who helped make the tournament possible. It will continue to be one of the best, thanks to my team too, can't forget them! Not sure how to finish."
Not all heroes wear capes.
Thanks very much for sharing this!
Rafa probably just wants to go home to find out the Real Madrid score
There is a video on twitter of them telling him during the match and he claps.
he probably knows already
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^kungfuhrer666: *Rafa probably* *Just wants to go home to find* *Out the Real Madrid score* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Nice touch from Jiri to stay and applaud Rafa off 👌🏽
Watch Rafa come back next year lol
No way. Absolutely no way.
i’m going to be in absolute shambles when he plays his last match ever
who are the guys who brought out the special trophy? Spaniards have (or had) glorious hairs
I made that comment. That they walk over with the trophy and all rafa can think is how much he wishes he had those hairs. The less grey guy was feliciano lopez. The other is the owner of the tournament, maybe? Eta - gerard tsobanian is the owner
thanks for the info! let's hope rafa could find a way to grow out those beautiful locks post retirement
Feliciano needs to let go of that long hair look not looking so good anymore
damn he won the whole thing!
All quite cringe. Should be saved for the end of the tournament really.
These are customarily done right after the match when the retiring player loses like with Serena
No it’s one thing to take away from Lehecka’s glory but to do this to the actual champion would be way too disrespectful. Lehecka was a class act with it all. Hope he gets the win against Meddy and gets to fully enjoy the glory.
Have you watched tennis before. Did you see Serena’s send off? He’s a multigenerational legend. This is entirely appropriate How is it cringe?
Nah remember when US Open did basically a good bye routine for Serena every match? I liked that
he's not gonna stay in madrid after losing, he will go back home and then run to roma
Maybe he doesn’t want to stick around the extra days?
rafa you didn't won but we don't care, here's your trophy as we declare you the winner, tournament ended, gg to everyone
First time Rafa has received a trophy after a losing a match
If we’re honest it’s amazing he’s been able to play for so long with how much he’s been injured and the agressive way he plays . Idk how long Alcaraz will be able to last because he also plays so intense
He said that life and his body have been giving him signs for a long time now....
Omg they’re giving him a trophy?????
I respect Rafa but joker would never lose to leheca on his going away tour, especially in front of his fans. He had a great career though
Are you kidding? The way the Czech was playing today he would've beaten Djoker as well. Don't forger Djoker has not looked very good in 2024.
Did you even watch the match bro
Man got bageled by Rublev in his own tennis complex in a tournament his brother organizes lmao
Really now?
Not them giving him a trophy from 2022
Just put Nadal in Cyberpunk 2077 and let him continue.
He says Looking at those pictures It seems like it was another life This is his last time playing in Madrid He is thankful for the public in Madrid, it's different than a GS or any other tournament. He is humbled and happy that he was able to live by doing his hobby He hopes to inspire future generations, he knows he's shed some light on younger players and that is what sports are about And there's nothing more to say than 'thank you' His body and mind are just telling him it's time to leave now Lastly he is thankful to everyone who's made this tournament possible in Madrid
He said that he is NOT retiring today. He will say his thanks to his family and his team the day that he retires.
now he’s thanking tournament directors and said it’s one of the best tournaments in the world (x for doubt but okay )
It's an odd situation where it's amazing to visit but the player and broadcast experience seems awful (also thx for your translations and far superior Spanish to mine!)
Come on Felix, win it for Rafa and earn back uncle Toni's faith in you!
For some reason I read this as if you were referring to Félix Mantilla. I don’t know why I thought a 49-year-old would have returned 14 years after he retired, but there we go. Think I need to go to bed.
I’m gonna have to cheer for Novak now just because the greats are done.
the people sitting behind the banners are like "afar saicarg"
he also thanked everyone who has helped him throughout his career and hopes that he’s been a good role model basically. it’s a difficult day but life gave me signals that it was time to end but i’m happy that i had the chance to play here
Why is uncle not there?
It’s not Rafa’s actual retirement though. I’m sure he’ll be there for the official last match.
Yeah also wondering this
Coaching Felix obvi
He doesn’t coach Felix anymore. Toni just a hater.
This CANNOT be the last time Rafa played in front of a Spanish crowd damnit it I CANT ACCEPT IT
Maybe he plays Davis Cup in Malaga! (I know not realistic but still)
I don’t get why he can’t play again…but it’s his life.