PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal waves goodbye in emotional Madrid ceremony as tributes pour in on social media

“It was a joke, guys! I’m coming back next year!”

Rafael Nadal’s quip to the crowd at Manolo Santana Stadium cut the tension in half during an emotional Tuesday evening, which saw the former world No. 1 fall in straight sets to Jiri Leheckha in what is likely his final professional match at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Read more: Jiri Lehecka takes racquet out of Rafael Nadal's hand with potent Madrid performance

With his extended family and team watching on including his parents, wife Maria Francisca and sister Maribel and his son Rafa Jr., Nadal played a close match against the No. 30 seeded Czech but came up short 7-5, 6-4 in the fourth round. It was a bittersweet moment for the 37-year-old, who had been hitting his stride with wins against No. 10 seed Alex de Minaur and Pedro Cachin in his farewell season.

The Mutua Madrid Open didn’t let its five-time champion go without a proper tribute ceremony, including a series of banners that depicted Nadal’s signature trophy bites from his 2005, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2017 titles. A hilarious mishap saw almost every banner get stuck as it unfurled, but Nadal didn’t let it derail the moment:

“That was a difficult one, it doesn’t want to come down!” Nadal joked as the banner highlighting his first Madrid title against Ivan Ljubicic in 2005 descended glacially.

WATCH: Rafael Nadal laughs off banner mishap during Madrid career tribute ceremony

Nadal also received a commemorative trophy from the tournament organizers for his 59 matches and five titles won—the first on indoor hard courts and other four on clay courts in its current iteration as a Masters 1000 event—before addressing the emotional audience.

WATCH: The full Rafael Nadal tribute ceremony | 2024 Madrid Open

“Two days before leaving for Barcelona I didn’t really know if I would be able to play in a professional match again. I’ve been able to play for two weeks, and this week has been unforgettable,” Nadal told fans in Spanish. “All I can say is that I’m grateful. It’s been an incredible journey that started when I was very small...

“Since I first played (here in 2005) until now there’s been nothing but unconditional love and support from everyone here in Madrid. All I can say is thank you, and I’m very, very grateful.”

As the Spaniard finally walked off the court, organizers and staff including tournament director Feliciano Lopez formed a guard of honor to send him on his way to the sounds of a standing ovation from the Caja Magica.

Tributes from Nadal's fellow players started pouring in on social media, with former world No. 7 Fernando Verdasco summing it up best:

"Thank you Rafael Nadal for being the greatest!"