"This is his home and he knows it": Madrid Open always ready to welcome back Rafael Nadal, says tournament director Feliciano Lopez

Madrid Open’s tournament boss, Feliciano Lopez, has stated that the competition is open to welcoming back the former world number one Rafael Nadal. The 38-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal retired from professional tennis in 2024 because of consistent fitness struggles. His last appearance was at the Davis Cup, where Spain suffered a defeat to the Dutch side. Madrid Masters’ tournament director and former tennis player Lopez has stated that they are always ready to welcome Nadal back as the competition has been ‘his home’.

“I hope so. This is his home and he knows it,” he said while talking to Spanish daily Marca. “We have had some great moments here with him, from the Madrid Arena, and he has always had a great connection and chemistry with the people of Madrid. Rafa is always invited to his house, he doesn't even have to let us know.”

Nadal, who is also known as the ‘King of Clay’ largely because he won 14 French Open titles in his illustrious career, has a fabulous record while playing in the competition. He lifted the title five times, which is the most important in the competition’s history. His first Madrid Open title was in 2006, where he defeated Ivan Ljubicic in the final with a score of 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. His last title in the competition was in 2017 when he got the better of Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-6 and 6-4. This year, Russia’s Andrey Rublev will be defending his title at the competition. The world number eight lifted the competition last year after beating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final in three sets with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.