Morante, carried on shoulders by Alcalá after opening Madrid's Puerta Grande: "It's a credit to a lifetime of work."

The bullring stood to welcome Morante after the Anthem. The cigar maker, already recognized as the creator of the best bullfight of the Isidril cycle, is in extraordinary form, and Madrid knows it. Although, talking about Morante's moments is absurd, because who would have said in 2022 that his bullfighting could improve? Well, he has. With unparalleled mastery from the man many say is the best bullfighter in history . And as such, he received a standing ovation.

"Madam, this is for you and for Spain," Morante dedicated to Infanta Elena, present at the 10 barrier. His daughter, Victoria Federica, was in an alleyway, where Ayuso, Almeida, Miguel Abellán, and Javier Conde were also present. And José Antonio dedicated another masterpiece to Doña Elena and Spain, which had Madrid chanting his name, mixed with cries of "Morante, I love you!" during a lap of the ring in which he delighted. The bullfighter happily entered after collecting cigars, fans, and flowers. The other day, the sword prevented him from entering the main gate, and today "I was able to kill him well. It fills me with pride to be in such a great profession," he declared on Telemadrid.

Some spectators were still focused on the Ronald Garros final. "Meow!" they shouted to the fourth bull while Morante was bullfighting him. But those jokes turned into resounding "oles!" when Morante decided to turn Madrid upside down with a weak bull. "How's Alcaraz doing?" asked one season ticket holder. "What do I care about how Alcaraz is doing right now!" replied his fellow season ticket holder.

In the ring, Morante was performing the bullfight that would open the door for him. The one he'd fought so hard for, and the one we'd all dreamed of so much. Crying, he hugged his cousin Juan Carlos, expressing how much this meant to them. Of course, when they placed the banderillas for the fifth bull, a thunderous ovation filled the arena. Now it really mattered: Alcaraz had just won Ronald Garros in the longest Grand Slam final in history, and the day Morante walked out onto Calle Alcalá.

The bullfighter has earned extraordinary performances from the maestro, as she acknowledged on David Jaramillo's microphone: "Many times I've been on the verge of leaving through the main door, but I couldn't with the sword. It's a credit to a lifetime of experience. I wouldn't want to leave bullfighting without leaving through the main door." A more than deserved reward, although let's hope the Genius can still open a handful more. It was just a matter of greasing the hinges.

A voice eager for attention shouted from the room that it was a lie. The spectator was right: what they saw seemed to be a lie, unrealizable. And perhaps we will never see such an unreal bullfighter again. Let's enjoy it while we have it, because we can proudly say that we saw Morante de la Puebla, the greatest of bullfighters, fight.

Thousands of people jumped into the ring to carry the king of bullfighters on their shoulders (with permission from Joselito, who will also have enjoyed, from heaven, the triumph of his most fervent follower, and often, alter ego), in an indescribable large door, where the masses in the van did not stop: they continued up Alcalá Street, trying to reach the Hotel Wellington, like a Dolorosa in procession.