“All good things must come to an end,” Martina Navratilova pens down an emotional message for Rafael Nadal after his potentially last match at Roland Garros

Navratilova labels Rafael Nadal's loss at Roland Garros as the 'End of an Era'.

“All good things must come to an end,” Martina Navratilova pens down an emotional message for Rafael Nadal after his potentially last match at Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal and Martina Navratilova (via Imago)

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova shared her thoughts on Rafael Nadal‘s potential last match at Roland Garros. The Spaniard lost in a highly anticipated first-round clash against World No.4 Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

Navratilova expressed her views on X (formerly known as Twitter), labeling the 14-time French Open champion’s loss to Zverev as ‘the end of an era.’ The former Wimbledon champion also hoped to see Nadal back on the French dirt for the Paris Olympics. 

All good things must come to an end, and this one hurts…an end of an era that will never be replicated. Rafael Nadal just played his last match at Roland Garros the tournament. 14 titles- beyond belief. Thank you Champ!!! Olympics maybe? We hope so!!! Xoxoxo.
Martina Navratilova wrote on X

Just like Navratilova, Nadal also confirmed his optimism to play in the Paris Olympics later this year. However, the Spaniard has yet to make a decision on his participation at Wimbledon before that. The Paris Olympics start in the last week of July.

FS Video

Initially, there were reports that the King of Clay would have a special ceremony to end his Roland Garros career. However, French organizers denied the idea as Nadal was still uncertain whether this was his last match in Paris.

Rafael Nadal loses to Alexander Zverev in potentially his last Roland Garros match

World No. 4 Alexander Zverev made a stunning start to his Roland Garros campaign, defeating the 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets. Zverev continued his momentum from winning the Rome Masters two weeks ago. He became only the third player to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, after Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic. Additionally, he is the second player after Djokovic to defeat the King of Clay at Roland Garros in straight sets.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal in the post-match interview (Via Imago)

Zverev dominated the first set, securing the first break of the match and ultimately winning 6-3. Despite Nadal’s efforts, Zverev maintained control throughout the match, capitalizing on the Spaniard’s struggles to hold his serve.

In the second set, Nadal had opportunities to take the lead, but Zverev remained composed and broke Nadal to love, eventually winning the set in a tiebreak. The veteran’s use of the drop shot was uncharacteristic, allowing Zverev to seize the advantage.

Similarly, in the third set, Zverev found himself trailing 2-0 but rallied back to win six of the last seven games, securing a significant victory in his tennis career. With this win, Zverev remains undefeated in his last six matches, solidifying his position as a formidable contender in the tournament.

In case you missed it!