Rafael Nadal ranking update: Spaniard makes massive jump after Madrid Open heroics in final campaign
Rafael Nadal received a massive boost to his ATP Ranking after a very fruitful campaign at the 2024 Madrid Open, which is, in all likelihood, the last home tournament of his illustrious career.
Nadal was ranked World No. 512 before the Madrid Open and used protected ranking to enter the main draw of the Masters-1000 tournament. He faced 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in the opening round and easily dispatched the wildcard in straight sets 6-1, 6-0 to begin his campaign.
The Spaniard then faced No. 10 Alex de Minaur in their second match in as many weeks and avenged Barcelona's loss. The former World No. 1 ousted the highest-ranked Australian player 7-6(6), 6-3 to the delight of home fans. Nadal came up against Pedro Cachin in the third round and was given a tough fight by the Argentine.
While the Spaniard raced past Cachin in the first set, the latter made a comeback in the second. Cachin's resurgence was stopped in the deciding set as the five-time Madrid Open champion won the match 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 and stitched together three wins on the trot for the first time this year.
In the fourth round in Caja Magica, Rafael Nadal went toe-to-toe against No. 30 seed Jiri Lehecka. The first set was as close as possible as both men split the initial 10 games. Lehecka then earned a crucial break on the 22-time Grand Slam champion's serve and closed out the first set. Another break of Nadal's serve early in the second set helped the Czech take a giant leap towards the quarterfinals.
Jiri Lehecka ultimately wrapped up the win in straight sets. This loss marked the end of Rafael Nadal's journey at the Madrid Open. He had previously announced that 2024 would be his last year on the ATP tour. The 37-year-old earned 100 points after a fourth-round finish in Madrid.
This has helped him jump 207 spots on the ATP Rankings to be World No. 305 with 175 points. He needs at least four more points to break into the top 300.
Rafael Nadal eyes participation at Italian Open in lead-up to Roland Garros swansong
Rafael Nadal's next tournament is expected to be the Italian Open, which begins on May 8. After his exit from the Madrid Open, the Spaniard expressed his wish to compete at the Italian Open, an event very close to his heart, being a record 10-time champion at the Masters-1000 tournament in Rome.
"I want to play in Rome and do well there. I am going to work hard to make that happen. It is one of the most important tournaments of my career, I won it 10 times," he said.
However, the southpaw had maintained uncertainty about his plans for Roland Garros. The 14-time Roland Garros champion pushed back against the pressure to outright clarify his plans for the clay Slam and stated his desire to make an announcement on the topic after finishing his campaign in Rome.
"About Paris... after Rome I will say. I understand your urgency and I would also like to have a clear vision of what is going to happen, but since I don't have it today, I can't tell you more," he added.