WATCH: Rafael Nadal thronged by 1000s of cheering fans as he exits Italian Open 2024 after 2R loss to Hubert Hurkacz
Rafael Nadal was greeted by thousands of cheering fans as he departed the 2024 Italian Open after his second-round defeat to Hubert Hurkacz. He also acknowledged the fans' love and support by waving to them .
Nadal had used his protected ranking to secure a spot in the at the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome. The Spaniard had staged a brilliant comeback after losing the first set to defeat Belgian qualifier Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round. However, in the second round, the 10-time Italian Open champion was defeated by seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-1, 6-3 in a match that lasted 93 minutes.
Following his loss, Rafael Nadal was met by thousands of fans who had eagerly waited outside the center court to bid him farewell. The Spaniard walked across a foot bridge, waving, smiling, and appearing overwhelmed by the love and support he received from the fans in Rome.
The official social media account of the Italian Open had shared a video of that moment.
Watch the video here:
The former World No.1 had also received a long standing ovation from the crowd at Foro Italico following his match against Hubert Hurkacz.
Watch the video here:
Rafael Nadal on the fans cheering for him: "They feel little bit more emotional, sad, because in some way the end of an important era"
Speaking at the press conference following his defeat to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the 2024 Italian Open, Rafael Nadal expressed gratitude for the thousands of fans who cheered for him outside the center court.
The former World No.1 stated that he has always been very well loved and has been supported by his fans throughout his career. He said that their love and support has intensified this season because the fans are recognising that an important era in tennis is coming to end.
"I always felt very well loved and supported during all my tennis career. When the people start to see that will not be many chances to watch me play again, probably they feel little bit more emotional, little bit more sad because at the end is in some way the end of probably an important era on the history of tennis," he said.
The 22-time Grand Slam championalso talked about his desire to leave a lasting legacy both on and off the court. He stated that as a tennis player, he aims to be remembered for his results on court, while as a person, he strives to be a positive example of being "respectful," and a "good person."
"I think as a tennis player, I just want to be remembered as the results I had. As a person, I hope to be remembered as a positive example of being respectful, well-educated, and good person. That's it," he added .
Rafael Nadal is next scheduled to compete at the 2024 French Open, a Grand Slam he has won a record 14 times.