Rafael Nadal is the sort of person who would give you the shirt off his back.
The tennis legend is being celebrated for an act of sheer class following his stirring victory over Pedro Cachin at the Madrid Open on Tuesday morning (AEST).
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Contesting his home tournament one last time before retirement, the five-time champion gave the world number 91 his shirt after Cachin asked him for a memento from the third round match when they hugged at the net.
The 22-time grand slam champion grinned when he heard Cachin make the request at the net.
“You made my dream come true for me, thank you,” Cachin said was heard saying on the TV broadcast.
“It’s not how the protocol is, but can I get your shirt, towel or something?”
Nadal, with one arm wrapped around his opponent, responded: “Yes, I’ll give it to you, of course,” Nadal responded.
“Good luck with everything.”
After shaking the umpire’s hand Nadal went to his bag and picked up a spare shirt which he carried over to Cachin, who was packing up his own gear.
The Argentine gratefully accepted the souvenir.
It was a moment of perfect sportsmanship after a three-hour war where Nadal triumphed 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
However, not everyone saw it that way.
Tennis commentator David Law has claimed Cachin’s request wasn’t the right thing to do given the circumstances.
The English commentator’s message on Twitter has sparked debate about whether Cachin, 29, went too far when playing his 37-year-old idol.
“Sorry Pedro, asking for your opponent’s shirt at the net ain’t it,” The Tennis Podcast host posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After a backlash of angry responses, Law posted he was “happy to agree to disagree with you all”.
Cachin celebrated his memento by sharing a photo of Nadal’s shirt on his Instagram stories hours after the match.
Tennis commentator Bastien Fachan wrote on Twitter: “This is very wholesome and I would have done exactly the same at this stage of Nadal’s career”.
Nadal certainly enjoyed it and he is enjoying his stunning comeback from the brink of immediate retirement.
Nadal said he is doing his best to “keep dreaming” at the Spanish tournament with his clay court campaign suddenly showing promising signs.
“Some moments good, some moments not good. I found a way to be through. I think in the third set with some mistakes I was still able to be a bit unpredictable,” Nadal said of his roller-coaster third-round victory.
“Now I’m enjoying. Let’s see how I wake up tomorrow. Playing at home means everything to me, just try my best to keep dreaming.”
Nadal’s reward is a Tuesday last-16 clash with the 30th-seeded Jiri Lehecka, who beat the Mallorcan in a practice session a week ago.
The 37-year-old has been dealing with physical issues, which have limited him to eight matches this season.
Asked if it would surprise him if he managed to beat Lehecka on Tuesday, Nadal said: “Yes, more so after today’s match. I will face a player who is playing at a very high level, who has a very powerful serve.”
While Nadal has already beaten a higher-ranked opponent this week — number 11 Alex de Minaur — he believes the quality of Lehecka’s ball “is another step up”.
— with AFP