“It’s a difficult day, but my body is giving me a signal that I should stop," the 37-year-old said after his defeat to Jiri Lehecka at the Mutua Madrid Open. “My dream was to finish here on court."

Nadal’s body withstood its toughest test yet at this Madrid Open in a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over 91st-ranked Pedro Cachin on Monday.

Nadal may have claimed the win for a spot in the fourth round, but it was the Argentine who walked away with the souvenir of a lifetime.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion won three straight matches for the first time since the 2022 US Open, backing up his victory over Alex de Minaur at the Caja Magica.

The five-time event winner put last week's Barcelona disappointment behind him in a 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory Saturday.

At 28, Argentina's Cachin is the fifth first-time ATP singles champion this season.

After a passing shower left the grass court damper than expected, the defending champion did all he could to help speed along a resumption of play.

Novak's hunt for major No. 24 could include pre-semis showdowns with Wawrinka, Hurkacz, Rublev, Bublik and/or Kyrgios.