"A difficult day"

Nadal knocked out in Madrid round of 16

Rafael Nadal says "Adios".(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Rafael Nadal has reached the last 16 of the tennis tournament in Madrid. The 37-year-old Spaniard lost to the Czech number 30 seed Jiri Lehecka 5:7, 4:6 after just over two hours of play on Tuesday.

It was Nadal's last appearance in Madrid in his career, after which there were various reminders of the veteran's successes on the court. He had won the title there in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017. For Nadal, it was a very emotional farewell to his home crowd.

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

"Difficult day" for Nadal
"It's a very difficult day for me, but life has given me signals that it's time to stop," said Nadal. The star had already announced for some time that he would end his career after this season.