“King Of Clay” Rafael Nadal walked off from his likely last dance after a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to world number four Alexander Zverev on Monday, suffering his fourth loss in 116 matches at Roland Garros since his 2005 title-winning debut.
The French legend was acknowledged with thundering applause as he left the court after the opening round defeat. The official X account of Roland Garros documented the moment and shared it with a caption, “See you soon 🧡”.
See you soon 🧡#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/RtZ9gqj5kR
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2024
It was the first time that Nadal was defeated in the opening round in Paris, leading to questions over his long-term future in the sport. He, however, said that he is not sure if this will be his last time at the French Open.
“I don”t know if this is the last time I will be here, I am not 100% sure but if it is then I wanted to enjoy it,” said Nadal.
“The feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words but for me it’s so special to feel the love from the people, in the way that I felt in the place that I won the most.”
The 37-year-old was plagued by injuries which limited him to only four events since January last year. The former World No.1 is currently placed on the 275th ranking and was unseeded in Paris.
