Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, lost in straight sets to Alexander Zverev in his likely final match at Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal's record-breaking run at the French Open came to a likely end when the 14-time champion suffered a demoralizing first-round loss against Alexander Zverev.
Nadal, who will turn 38 on June 3, fell 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to world number four Zverev on Monday, suffering only his fourth defeat in 116 matches at Roland Garros since his 2005 title. -Winning debut.
It was the first time he was defeated in Paris in the first round and will again raise questions about his long-term future in tennis.
“I don't know if this will be the last time I'll be here, I'm not 100 percent sure, but if it is then I want to enjoy it,” Nadal said.
“Today's feelings are difficult to describe in words.”
Plagued by injuries, which had limited him to just four events since January last year, former world number one Nadal is now ranked 275th and was unseeded in Paris.
However, he insisted on the eve of the tournament that he was “100 percent keeping the door open” to his future in a sport that has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles.
In a repeat of the 2022 semi-final, which Nadal won when Zverev retired with an ankle ligament injury, the Spaniard had his chances.
Nadal was broken in the second and third sets, only to have his 27-year-old opponent break him on both occasions.
The chants of “Rafa, Rafa” echoed loudly under the roof of the Philippe Chatrier court, which was sealed against the torrential rain that lashed the field and wreaked havoc on the schedule.
They fell silent when Nadal lost serve at love in his first service game and was left to rue his inability to convert two break points in the fourth game.
Nadal saved two set points in the ninth game, but gave up the first goal after 50 minutes when he buried a weak forehand into the net.
It was only the fourth opening set he had lost at Roland Garros.
Nadal broke serve for the first time in the match to take a 3-2 lead in the second set, but was unable to back up the lead and broke three-time semi-finalist Zverev back while serving to win the set.
A tense tiebreaker followed that the German claimed, encouraged by an extension to 5/3 after a grueling 19-stroke rally.
Nadal dug deep and with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek watching from the packed stands, he broke and held for 2-0 in the third set.
However, Zverev regained level at 2-2 before a beleaguered Nadal had to save four break points in a 13-minute fifth game to stay in contention.
The effort was too much and a composed Zverev soon went 4-3 up and the match ended when Nadal hit a forehand wide and long.
