The 14-time French Open champion admitted there was a ‘big, big chance’ he was playing at Roland Garros for the final time before he was beaten in straight-sets by the fourth seed
Rafael Nadal lost at the French Open for just the fourth time in 19 years as Alexander Zverev became only the third opponent to beat the great Spaniard at Roland Garros, in what could be the 14-time champion’s final match at the tournament he dominated for almost two decades.
Rafael Nadal, who turns 38 next week, forced organisers to cancel a planned farewell ceremony after his surprise announcement that this year’s tournament may not be his last in Paris, but the ‘King of Clay’ admitted there was a “big, big chance” he was playing at the French Open for the final time after recent struggles with injury and fitness.
The tennis icon has ruled the French Open since winning the tournament on his debut in 2005, with a record 14 titles unmatched in the history of the sport. But Nadal, unseeded after returning from injury, was handed a brutal first-round match against the German fourth seed Zverev, one of the contenders for the title after winning in Rome last week.
And the 27-year-old Zverev became just the third player, after Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling, to beat Nadal in his 116 matches at the French Open, silencing Court Philippe-Chatier with a comprehensive straight-sets win. Nadal showed plenty of fight and produced some moments of vintage quality, but Zverev was too strong and resilient in winning 6-3 7-6 6-3 in over three hours.
In an emotional on-court speech, Nadal left the door open to returning to Roland Garros at the Paris Olympics later this summer. “I don’t know if it’s the last time I’ll be here in front of all of you,” he said in front of a packed crowd that included his wife Xisca, baby son Rafael Jr and fellow tennis stars Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. “Honestly, I am not sure. If it is, then you have been amazing.”
