The Spaniard fell to Alexander Zverev in the first round of what could be his last French Open.
He is a man who needs no introduction. Especially here, where his statue adorns the grounds. But when Rafael Nadal came out today for his first match of the 2024 French Open, the courtside announcer did his thing. Taking a breath, he summoned Nadal by name and then ticked off the years he had won the title.Fourteen in all. It’s a joke of a tally. The recitation of which enabled a somber occasion to start with some levity.
So it was these last dance vibes that came edged with a wince. The Rolling Stones or Elton John can announce a final tour. They may not hit every note. But they also don’t lose in straight sets to, say, Mumford & Sons. Nadal was, inauspiciously, broken to start the match, and Zverev took the first set 6–3. Nadal broke Zverev and served for the second, electrifying the crowd. When he failed to close, the deflation was palpable. When he lost the second set in a tiebreaker, this went from an exercise in potentially witnessing history to an exercise in potentially witnessing Nadal’s final match, at least at the French Open.
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