Rafael Nadal claimed his final victory at the Madrid Open 2024 against Pedro Cachin, after which the latter requested Nadal’s shirt as a keepsake. While the shirt exchange has garnered mixed opinions, Nadal happily obliged.
Cachin, a fan of Nadal, told him that it was a dream to compete against him in Madrid before asking for his shirt. Nadal agreed, giving Cachin the shirt and sharing a hug. However, Nadal’s fourth-round opponent, Jiri Lehecka, had a different perspective on the situation. Lehecka, who defeated Nadal, said he would never ask for anything from his opponent, as it would be “weird.”
BBC commentator David Law echoed Lehecka’s sentiments in a tweet but was countered by Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who defended the shirt exchange as a common practice in football and the NBA. Additional support came from Boris Becker and Iga Swiatek, who said she would similarly ask for Nadal’s shirt if given the chance.
Despite the ensuing controversy, Pedro Cachin now possesses a piece of tennis history: a shirt from Nadal’s last-ever victory at the Madrid Open.
