Jiri Lehecka commented on the recent moment when Pedro Cachin asked Rafael Nadal for his t-shirt at the 2024 Madrid Open.
The Czech player has done some pretty amazing things in his relatively young career so far. One of those things was beating Nadal recently at the Madrid Open, which was one of his biggest career victories.
He was facing not only Nadal but also the crowd, and he held firm in that moment, scoring an important win. That attitude was present even before the match, as Lehecka joked with the media that he was the favorite against a player ranked 512th in the world.
He backed it up on the court and, after the match, said some interesting things, including his thoughts on the t-shirt exchange between Nadal and Cachin. It created a lot of debate in tennis circles, with some thinking it's not 'competitive' to do that while others recognized the moment of meeting an idol.
For Lehecka, it's quite clear that he would never ask his opponent for their t-shirt after the match.
"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. I don’t want to sound disrespectful…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. 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."
At the end of the day, it's a very subjective topic. Some will find it bizarre, and some will not, but what's important is the fact that Nadal didn't seem to be bothered by his opponent's request.
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