Nadal defeated in likely French Open farewell

Rafael Nadal's record-breaking French Open career came to its likely end on Monday when the 14-time champion slumped to a demoralising first round defeat against Alexander Zverev.

Two years after their epic unfinished match, Zverev hands Nadal his first-ever first-round defeat at Roland-Garros 🤯 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/OGsZ2RoQuc

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2024

Nadal, who turns 38 on June 3, went down 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to world No 4 Zverev, suffering only his fourth loss in 116 matches at Roland Garros since his 2005 title-winning debut.

It was the first time he had been defeated in Paris in the opening round and will again lead to questions over his long-term future in the sport.

"I don't know if this is the last time I will be here, I am not 100 per cent sure but if it is then I wanted to enjoy it," said Nadal.

"The feelings today are difficult to describe in words."

Plagued by injuries, which had limited him to just four events since January last year, former world No 1 Nadal is now 275 in the rankings and was unseeded in Paris.

However, he insisted on the eve of the tournament that he was "100 per cent keeping the door open" on his future in a sport which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles.

In a repeat of the 2022 semifinal, which Nadal won when Zverev quit with ankle ligament damage, the Spaniard had his chances.

He was a break of serve up in the second and third sets, only to be pinned back on both occasions by his in-form 27-year-old opponent.

Chants of "Rafa, Rafa" had loudly echoed under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier which was shut tight against the torrential rain sweeping across the grounds and bringing havoc to the schedule.

They subsided to silence when Nadal was broken to love in his opening service game and he was left to regret his inability to convert two break points in the fourth game.

Nadal saved two set points in the ninth game but surrendered the opener after 50 minutes when he buried a loose forehand into the net.

It was only the fourth opening set he had lost at Roland Garros.

Nadal broke for the first time in the match to lead 3-2 in the second set but couldn't back up the advantage and handed the break back to three-time semifinalist Zverev as he served for the set.

A tense tie-breaker followed which the German claimed, buoyed by stretching to 5/3 on the back of a gruelling 19-shot rally.

Nadal dug deep and with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek having watched from the packed stands, he broke and held for 2-0 in the third set.

However, Zverev again roared back to level at 2-2 before a besieged Nadal had to save four break points in a 13-minute fifth game to stay in contention.

The effort was too much and a composed Zverev was soon 4-3 up and the match was over when Nadal fired a forehand wide and long.

Rafael Nadal admits he will be facing "one of the toughest opponents possible" when he plays Alexander Zverev in the French Open first round on Monday.

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This year's event was expected to be the 14-time champion's farewell to Roland Garros, but he has since insisted he could not confirm "100 per cent" it would be his last appearance.

Nadal has only played four tournaments since January 2023 after suffering a hip injury and then a muscle tear.

That left him unseeded for the draw and vulnerable to a difficult opening round at a tournament where he has only lost three of his 115 matches.

World No 4 Zverev arrives in Paris as one of the favourites for the title after winning the Rome Open earlier this month.

"Of course on paper it is not the best draw," Nadal said ahead of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"I play against one of the toughest opponents possible, and at the same time, he came here winning the last event and it's a Masters 1000.

"It's not a small one. So what can I do? That's the draw. Just try to be ready for it."

Nadal, who turns 38 in a week's time, has shown flashes of his best form in the clay-court swing, but was thrashed 6-1, 6-3 by Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of his last outing in Rome.

He boasts a 7-3 winning record over Zverev ahead of their first meeting since the 2022 French Open semifinals, when the German left the court in a wheelchair near the end of the second set after injuring his ankle.

"I am not anxious. No, I am focused on trying to play well. That's it," said Nadal.

"Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome. It's a possibility, of course. I don't want to hide that.

"But in my mind, is do something different and play much better and give myself a chance to play competitive."

- 'Didn't want' to play Nadal -

Zverev did not play again in 2022 after that ankle injury but has climbed the rankings again in recent months.

The 27-year-old has long been touted as a future Grand Slam champion but remains without one of tennis' four biggest titles.

Clay is his strongest surface, though, and he has reached the semifinals in each of the last three years at Roland Garros.

The men's draw looks far more open than usual, with doubts surrounding Nadal's fitness and Novak Djokovic having endured a turbulent start to the year.

"I can guarantee you Novak didn't want to play Rafa in the first round and (Carlos) Alcaraz didn't want to play, Jannik (Sinner) didn't want to play him," admitted Zverev.

"I don't want to play him in the first round, but it is how it is. He has been out injured. He hasn't played a lot of tennis. His ranking is where it is. Of course it's not ideal, but at the same time, you know, there is nothing you can do.

"Everybody now is excited for a tough battle and tough first round. I think he's excited and I'm excited for it."

French Open organisers were prepared to stage a tribute ceremony to Nadal to honour his career but the Spaniard was reluctant to endorse such a celebration.

"We were ready to press the button on it," admitted tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.

"But it's Rafa who manages his timing, we follow what he wants. We wouldn't want to put him in an uncomfortable position."

Also on Monday, women's world No 1 Iga Swiatek starts her bid for a fourth French Open crown against home player Leolia Jeanjean.

Victory for the top seed will give her a second round clash with fellow four-time Grand Slam title winner Naomi Osaka.

Men's Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, former Roland Garros runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and women's US Open title-holder Coco Gauff all get their campaigns under way on Court Suzanne Lenglen.