Pedro Cachin heaped praise on Rafael Nadal after their third-round match at the Madrid Open.
Cachin clashed with Nadal in the third round of the 2024 Madrid Open on Monday, April 29. He was all over the place in the first set, getting broken thrice, but managed to get a foot in after the second set began.In the end, however, he couldn’t do much as the Spaniard secured a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 after a three-hour-six-minute-long grind.After the match, Cachin, who was broken a staggering nine times, wondered how lethal Nadal must have been in his prime if the latter was able to produce that kind of a performance aged 37
“What I said to [Alex] Corretja (his coach) at the end of the match is that I can’t imagine what Rafa [Nadal] must have been in his best period and at five sets, because if being at his worst puts you in such uncomfortable situations, both in terms of play and aura, it must have been incredible,” the Argentinian said in his presser. (via Punto de Break; translated).
Cachin accepts the 20-time Grand Slam champion has his flaws at the moment but there has been no drop in commitment and passion.
“Now he has mistakes that he didn’t have a few years ago, but as a good competitor, he’s going to leave his soul on the court until the end,” Cachin added.
“It’s not easy to compete against Rafael Nadal, regardless of the level he’s at” – Pedro Cachin.
Pedro Cachin
Despite the loss to the 22-time Grand Slam champion, Pedro Cachin exits the 2024 Madrid Open draw only after gaining a little self-belief as he believes that competing against the Spaniard is a tough ask.
“This tournament will make me regain a good level and, above all, it gives me a lot of self-esteem. It’s not easy to compete against Rafa, regardless of the level he’s at,” Cachin said during the same press conference at the La Caja Magica.
The silver lining for Cachin in Madrid has been his wins in the first and second rounds, as they remain thus far the only positive results he has managed since the start of the 2024 season. He was on a 10-match losing streak this season before stepping foot in the Spanish capital.
“I’ve managed to break a negative streak and, emotionally, this gives me a big boost. Well, it’s a bit inconsistent at times, but that’s normal, we’re all kind of inconsistent,” Pedro Cachin added.
Nadal will next be up against 30th seed Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
