Iga Swiatek, Nick Kyrgios see no issue with Pedro Cachin's Rafael Nadal shirt ask as Jiri Lehecka says it's 'weird'
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Updated 01/05/2024 at 18:57 GMT
Iga Swiatek and Nick Kyrgios have both given their views after Pedro Cachin caused a stir by asking Rafael Nadal for a shirt following their match in Madrid. Nadal, 37, was likely playing the tournament for the final time ahead of retirement. Kyrgios had no problem with, saying "it’s a memory, an experience", while Jiri Lehecka, who beat Nadal in the last 16, said it was "kind of weird".
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It’s not uncommon in football for players to swap shirts at the end of matches, but it’s not seen so much in tennis.
Which might be why Pedro Cachin asking Rafael Nadal for his shirt after they played at the Madrid Open caused a bit of a stir.
Cachin could be heard saying to Nadal as they shook hands at the net: “You made my dream come true, thank you. It’s not how the protocol is, but can I get your shirt, towel or something?”
Nadal, who was likely playing in Madrid the last time before retiring, obliged and gave Cachin a shirt from his bag.
The moment certainly did not go unnoticed.
Women’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek was asked after her quarter-final win over Beatriz Haddad Maia whether she had ever experienced anything similar.
"Not really, but if I would play against Rafa, for sure I would ask for a t-shirt," said Swiatek, who has previously described Nadal as a "huge inspiration".
Former Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios hit back at the idea that it was wrong for Cachin to ask for Nadal’s shirt.
"NBA players, soccer players do it all the time? It’s a memory, an experience that took a lifetime of work and that less than 1% of humans get to. You wouldn’t understand," he wrote on X in response to a post by tennis commentator David Law.
Nadal’s run at the tournament came to an end in the last 16 as he was beaten by Jiri Lehecka.
The Czech was asked after the win what he thought about the idea of asking Nadal for a souvenir.
“I don't know, it's tough for me to say, because I went on the court to win, you know. When you go on the court and you go there for the win, then it's tough for me to run after him and to ask him for some things, you know, if he can give me something," said Lehecka.
“Because I don't really know, I don't want to sound disrespectful or something, that's the last thing I would like to, but if you are playing a match and you are thinking about asking the guy to give you something, then, I mean, why you are there? It's kind of weird, in my opinion.
"I mean, everyone can have his own opinion on this thing. I totally respect what Pedro did. It's absolutely fine for me. I have zero problem with it. But for me I would not do such a thing.
"I would do this maybe after the whole tournament, after, when I see him somewhere, just asking for a photo like I did after our practice. This is what I did, because of course I didn't know if I would have a chance to play with him again or if we would play a match together.
"That's why I asked Rafa to take a picture with me after our practice earlier this week. But if we are speaking about him giving me a T-shirt, I mean, I don't know, I just don't go into a match with these kind of intentions, and I just have different approach in this thing.”
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