Rafael Nadal kept his 2024 Madrid Open campaign alive this Monday, taking down Pedro Cachin 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3. With this result, he reaches the fourth round of a circuit tournament for the first time in two years. The five-time tournament winner looked like his old self at times, fueled by the passionate energy of the fans at the Manolo Santana Stadium.
The match was a grind for the 37-year-old, as Cachin fought hard using the experience from his Gstaad clay title win last season. However, Nadal's tenacity shone through in the final set. Despite a slip-up in the second, he ramped up the power on his forehand and showed he still has the stamina to endure a grueling three-hour and four-minute battle.
It's worth noting that the 22-time Grand Slam legend is still easing into his season, with this being his third event after a disappointing early exit in Barcelona. His victory over the 91st-ranked Cachin reinforces a legendary statistic: since 2005, Nadal has only lost once on clay to anyone outside the top 50. That lone defeat happened 19 years ago against Horacio Zeballos in Vina del Mar.
Despite arriving in Madrid on a streak of 15 tour-level losses, Cachin showed immense heart and pushed the former world number one to the limit. Nadal, who boasts an impressive 59-14 record in Madrid, is now eyeing his tenth straight quarter-final in his home capital. He will face the Czech player Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16 on May 1st.
The 22-year-old Lehecka earned his spot in the fourth round—his second time reaching this stage of an ATP Masters 1000—by defeating Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 7-6(7). This upcoming match will be the first time Lehecka faces Nadal on court.
Reflecting on the match, Nadal admitted it was a rollercoaster: \"There were good stretches and bad ones, but I found a way to survive. In the third set, I tried to be more unpredictable despite a few errors, and I think that shifted the momentum,\" he explained after the exhausting win. When asked about his physical state, he added, \"I'm enjoying myself. We'll see how my body feels when I wake up tomorrow.\"
Continuing his thoughts on playing in Spain, Nadal shared, \"I'm just taking it day by day. Playing at home means the world to me, and I'm doing everything I can to keep this dream alive. Tomorrow is another opportunity to compete in front of this incredible crowd, which is everything to me.\"