Defeat to seventh seed Hurkacz casts doubt over whether clay-court icon Nadal will play at the upcoming French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles.
"I have Roland Garros in just two weeks and a half... I need to prove myself if I am able to push my body to the limit, I need to push to feel myself ready for what's coming," Nadal told reporters.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion has recently returned to the circuit after a long absence due to injury.
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz says he will form a dream team with his legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics later this year "if everything goes well."
On the women's side, Iga Swiatek was made to sweat in her 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Brazilian lefty Beatriz Haddad Maia, as she dropped her first set of the tournament and needed two and a half hours to reach a second consecutive Madrid semi-final.
"Now I'm enjoying. Let's see how I wake up tomorrow. Playing at home means everything to me, just try my best to keep dreaming."
Nadal's reward is a last-16 clash with the 30th-seeded Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday.
Rafa Nadal continued his return to form as he defeated Alex de Minaur 7-6(6), 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Saturday.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will be 38 in June and has made just a handful of appearances since January 2023 due mostly to a hip injury.
Defeat to seventh seed Hurkacz casts doubt over whether clay-court icon Nadal will play at the upcoming French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles.
"I have Roland Garros in just two weeks and a half... I need to prove myself if I am able to push my body to the limit, I need to push to feel myself ready for what's coming," Nadal told reporters.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion has recently returned to the circuit after a long absence due to injury.
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz says he will form a dream team with his legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics later this year "if everything goes well."
On the women's side, Iga Swiatek was made to sweat in her 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Brazilian lefty Beatriz Haddad Maia, as she dropped her first set of the tournament and needed two and a half hours to reach a second consecutive Madrid semi-final.
"Now I'm enjoying. Let's see how I wake up tomorrow. Playing at home means everything to me, just try my best to keep dreaming."
Nadal's reward is a last-16 clash with the 30th-seeded Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday.
Rafa Nadal continued his return to form as he defeated Alex de Minaur 7-6(6), 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Saturday.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will be 38 in June and has made just a handful of appearances since January 2023 due mostly to a hip injury.
The win was Nadal's record-extending 57th victory in Madrid.