Boris Becker reacts to Rafael Nadal's heartwarming gesture of gifting his shirt to Pedro Cachin following Madrid Open 3R win

Boris Becker recently reacted to Rafael Nadal's touching gesture of giving his shirt to his opponent, Pedro Cachin, after winning the third round at the 2024 Madrid Open.

Five-time Madrid Open champion, Nadal, extended his winning streak at the tournament by defeating Argentine Pedro Cachin 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 in just over three hours at the Manolo Santana Stadium. This victory propelled the Spaniard to the fourth round, which is the first time he has reached this stage at a tour-level event since 2022.

After the match, as the players shook hands at the net, Pedro Cachin expressed his gratitude to the former World No. 1, stating that it was a "dream come true" to compete against him.

Cachin even went as far as to request the 22-time Grand Slam champion's shirt, despite uncertainty about whether protocol allowed for such a request.

The ATP Tour's official social media accounts shared a video capturing this heartwarming exchange between the Spaniard and the World No. 91.

"It’s a dream come true for me, I'm not sure what is the protocol, but can I ask you for a shirt?" Cachin said.

German tennis legend Boris Becker was also moved by Rafael Nadal's gesture. He then took to social media to share the video and express his admiration for the sportsmanship displayed by the former World No. 1 and stated:

"Vamos Rafa," Becker posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Rafael Nadal will face Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at Madrid Open 2024

Mutua Madrid Open 2024

Rafael Nadal is set to go up against Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the 2024 Madrid Open.

Nadal secured his spot at the Madrid Open using his protected ranking. He kicked off his campaign by defeating 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch by a score of 6-1, 6-0 in the first round. In the second round, he avenged his previous loss to Alex de Minaur at the 2024 Barcelona Open by defeating him 7-6(6), 6-3.

The Spaniard then triumphed over World No. 91 Pedro Cachin, earning his place in the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid tournament. The former World No. 1 will be looking to win the upcoming match to reach his 10th consecutive quarter-final in Madrid.

Meanwhile, 30th seed Jiri Lehecka began his Madrid Open campaign in the second round after receiving a bye in the first. He defeated Hamad Medjedovic 7-5, 6-4 in his opening match and then overcame Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 7-6(7) to advance to the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the second time.

The Spaniard and Lehecka have never faced each other on the ATP Tour. Therefore, their head-to-head record against each other currently stands at 0-0.