“I’m passionate about sport,” Rafael Nadal reveals the motivation behind him giving his all on court

While Nadal was ousted in straight sets in his first round match at the French Open, the 'fight' was still visible to all the tennis fans to cherish.

“I’m passionate about sport,” Rafael Nadal reveals the motivation behind him giving his all on court

Rafael Nadal bid adieu to the French Open crowd (Via Imago)

22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has shared updates on his potential retirement. The Spaniard lost in straight sets to World No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Monday, in what was dubbed the most anticipated first-round match in this year’s Roland Garros.

Nadal spoke to the media in the post-match press conference after his first-round encounter. The Spaniard revealed his passion for the game despite being in the twilight of his career.

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If I feel myself competitive and fit to enjoy, I will continue for a while because I'm having fun. I have to see if my level is growing, let's see if I'm able to keep going. Today is not a moment to analyse this kind of thing, but to accept the moment.
Rafael Nadal said in his post-match press conference

The recent defeat was just the fourth loss in Nadal’s career at the clay Slam. The previous losses came in 2009 to Robin Soderling, and in 2015 and 2021 to Novak Djokovic, respectively.

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Was this the last time the tennis world saw Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros?

Well, one thing is for sure, this is not the last time the tennis world will see Rafael Nadal in Paris. The former World No. 1 confirmed after his first-round loss against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros that he hopes to be back in this city playing the Olympic games.

Rafael Nadal post his first round loss at the French Open
Rafael Nadal post his first-round loss at the French Open (Via Imago)

The Paris Games are expected to start at the end of July. Nadal is expected to play doubles with World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in his country’s colors. Alcaraz was also asked about this potential pairing, and he gave positive news that the idea of their doubles pair could be on. The ‘King of Clay’ has won the Olympic Singles Gold in the 2008 Beijing Games before winning the Olympic Doubles Gold in 2016 with Marc López.

In terms of the match against Zverev, he had his chances. Nadal had a chance to serve out the second set before leading 2-0 in the final set. However, his serve was a major weakness that ultimately decided the match.

Nadal’s serve has never been a huge weapon throughout his career, but it wasn’t a problem due to him finding multiple ways to win matches at Roland Garros. However, time is not on his side, and he doesn’t have the physical prowess to dominate players like before, so a top serve is necessary for him to stay competitive.

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