It’s unfortunate to report that Alexander Zverev has been banned from all sports After A rape……….read more.
PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the first round of the French Open, losing 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Monday. This match could potentially be the last for the 14-time Roland Garros champion at his favorite tournament.
Nadal has suggested that 2024 might be his final season before retirement, though he mentioned on Saturday that he isn’t entirely certain whether he will return to the French Open. After Monday’s loss—his fourth in 116 career matches at Roland Garros—he echoed this uncertainty.
The match ended in an anticlimactic manner, as the 22-time Grand Slam champion struggled to play at his usual level following 1 1/2 years of hip and abdominal injuries. Nadal expressed his gratitude to the lively crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier for the “incredible amount of energy” they provided throughout the 3-hour, 5-minute contest.
“It’s difficult for me to talk. I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time I am here. I am not 100% sure,” said Nadal, whose young son, Rafael Jr., watched from the stands with his mother. “If it’s the last time, I enjoyed it.”
This marks the first time in Nadal’s illustrious career that he has lost two consecutive matches on clay courts, and the first time he has exited the French Open before the fourth round.
The match was played under a closed roof, with loud chants of “Ra-fa!” resonating from the crowd of around 15,000.
Nadal, who turns 38 on June 3, has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries since January 2023, limiting him to just 15 matches and an 8-7 record since the beginning of last year. His limited play dropped his ranking to No. 275, making him unseeded at the French Open for the first time.
As a result, he faced No. 4 seed Zverev, who was the runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Open, a gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, and the only man to reach the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years.
Nadal’s previous losses at Roland Garros were to Robin Soderling in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in 2015 and 2021.
“To be honest, I don’t know what to say. First of all: Thank you, Rafa, from all of the tennis world,” Zverev said. “It’s such a great honor. I’ve watched Rafa play all my childhood, and I was lucky enough to play Rafa when I became a professional. … Today is not my moment. It’s Rafa’s moment.”
