It might be the end of a dream but the verdict in Greece where compatriots have been rooting for Tsitsipas is that no man has brought them such pride on the tennis court.

“Stefanos Tsitsipas gave what he could. Against the great Spaniard he didn’t succeed in prevailing again. But right now that is of little importance,” wrote Sports 24 in its live blog of the match.

Not that long ago tennis was a rarified sport in Greece. The sensational 20-year-old has now put it on the map - and on the back of tennis’ new-found attraction, Nadal, as chance would have it, is about to open a tennis academy in the country.