Alize Cornet reveals that Rafael Nadal appeared in her dreams as she bid farewell to the French Open.
Alize Cornet captivated the press room with her revelation about Rafael Nadal following her final French Open appearance. The Frenchwoman shared that she had dreamed of the Spaniard asking her to play a match together.
On Tuesday, Cornet, who debuted at the French Open in 2006, concluded her professional tennis career, playing one last time in front of her home fans. Unfortunately, she faced a tough draw and was eliminated in the first round by this year’s Australian Open runner-up, Zheng Qinwen, who defeated her 6-2, 6-1.
The day before, 37-year-old Nadal also potentially played his last French Open match and, like Cornet, was ousted in the first round.
“I slept well. I have to say I dreamt of Rafa all night long. I dreamt that he would suggest we play a three-set match in Strasbourg, then I would be with his family, we would win, and we would celebrate,” Cornet revealed. “So I woke up this morning, and I thought, ‘Oh, well, I’m saying everything this morning.'”
Despite her loss to Zheng, Cornet wasn’t too disappointed with her performance. After being broken twice early in the match, she managed to get one break back in the fifth game but lost her serve again, allowing Zheng to easily take the first set. In the second set, they were tied at one game each before Zheng won five consecutive games to secure a straightforward victory.
“When I warmed up, I thought, okay, it might be the last time. But I had to stay focused on the game and not think it’s over already. Now I can say it’s over. I did my best on the court. This player is very aggressive. She’s a very tough opponent. It’s hard to win against her,” Cornet said.
