A brutal draw at the 2024 French Open proved to be too much for Rafael Nadal to overcome.
Facing world No. 4 and reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev in the first round, Nadal lost 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 on Monday afternoon. What was likely–but not definitely–the 37-year-old’s final match at Roland Garros lasted three hours and five minutes.
Despite the straight-set scoreline, Nadal was not without chances. Although he served for the second set and went up by a break early in the third, he could not consolidate on either occasion. The Spaniard raised his overall level considerably from previous clay-court appearances–especially compared to what was on display in Barcelona and Rome–but was unable to withstand an impressive performance by Zverev in which the German served at 77 percent and finished with 16 more winners than unforced errors.
“It’s difficult for me to talk,” Nadal said on court afterward. “I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time that I’m going to be here in front of all of you, honestly. I am not 100 percent sure. But if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it.
“The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation and the feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words. But for me it’s so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt in the place that I love the most.”
Nadal is a 14-time French Open champion and holds an incredible 112-4 lifetime record at the tournament. Zverev, Robin Soderling, and Novak Djokovic are the only players who have ever defeated him.
Zverev is joined in the second round by fellow seeds Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Karen Khachanov, Sebastian Baez, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Francisco Cerundolo. Sinner answered some questions about his physical state with a clean 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Chris Eubanks.
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