“A big chance I won’t be back,” Resilient Rafael Nadal drops verdict on his French Open career as he loses to Alexander Zverev in the first round

Nadal waved the French Open crowd goodbye for possibly the final time.

“A big chance I won’t be back,” Resilient Rafael Nadal drops verdict on his French Open career as he loses to Alexander Zverev in the first round

Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

Not even a single dry face was present at the Philippe-Chatrier as Rafael Nadal lost to Alexander Zverev in the first round. After receiving an unfortunate draw, the Spaniard faced the German early on to progress his dream at Roland Garros. 

Unfortunately, it was not to be as Nadal was not getting past the Zverev challenge. After an extremely slow start, it was difficult for Rafa to come back into the match, and despite a valiant effort in the second set, Zverev just got the better of him. 

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In the end, it was Zverev who won 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 to become only the third person to beat Nadal in Roland Garros. Though the match ended pretty quickly, the audience was not ready for the Nadal speech at the end. Unsure about his decision to retire from the French Open, Nadal left his fans dangling in question but gave a verdict on his decision. 

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For me, as I said before, I’ve been going through a very tough two years in terms of injuries. I went all through this process with the dream of being here at Roland Garros. The first round wasn’t the ideal one. But I was competitive. I had my chances. It wasn’t enough against a great player like Sascha. It’s difficult to say what’s going on in the future. Probably a big chance I won’t be back playing here but I can’t say 100%.
Rafael Nadal said in the post-match interview

The tennis fans are unsure about Rafael Nadal and remain hopeful that he will return next year. Nevertheless, the Spaniard has had a wonderful career at the French Open, and matching his record will be like climbing an Everest-esque summit without oxygen support.

Rafael Nadal thanks the crowd at the French Open after a tough loss in the first round

Spanish pro Rafael Nadal may have finished his career at the French Open as he gave a rather emotional speech to the fans. After his loss against Alexander Zverev, the tournament director had asked the Spaniard to say a few words to his fans. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)
What makes me feel so special is all the people at Roland Garros behind the scenes who’ve helped me all the times since I first came here have been unforgettable. The support of all my people there.My family, team, friends… everybody who helped me in some moment of my life. I can’t thank them enough. To all the people, the feelings you made me feel here are just unforgettable. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really hope to see you again.
Rafael Nadal said in the post-match interview

With the recent defeat, Nadal still stands tall in the French Open’s history book with 112 wins against only four losses. He will return to the same courts for the Paris Olympics and will hope to do better and win some important points for his country. 

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