Wrapup 1: Tennis-Paris darling Nadal exits French Open in farewell-like defeat

Tatton Asset Management

27/05/2024 19:10

By Julien Pretot
       PARIS, May 27 (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal exited what could
be his last French Open to an outpouring of love and support
with a first-round defeat by Alexander Zverev, wishing to be
back at Roland Garros for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
    "I hope to see you again, but I don't know," Nadal told an
ecstatic crowd after his straight-sets loss on Monday. 
    "There's a big percentage I will not be back here but I am
not 100% sure. I hope to be back on this court for the Olympics,
that motivates me." 
    It will the third time since his debut at Roland Garros in
2005, that Nadal, whose body has been martyred by 23 years of
professional tennis and who left the tournament with a crushed
foot after his record-improving 14th title two years ago, does
not get to celebrate his June 3 birthday in Paris.
    The French, who tend to arrive on court Philippe Chatrier
fashionably late on the back of a long lunch, skipped coffee and
digestif to fill the arena before the king, racket in hand as
usual, stepped onto the court to deafening roars.
    Spain's Nadal stuck to his routine, avoiding the lines and
crossing them with his right foot, sprinting to the baseline
during warm-up and positioning his two bottles diagonally aimed
at the court.
    On a rainy day in Paris, organisers closed the roof, adding
to the intimacy of the moment.  
    On a court he knows like no one else, Nadal struggled to
find his mark early on, netting a routine drop shot and serving
a double fault to give Zverev the opening game.
    The German, who after winning the Rome Masters was the worst
possible draw for Nadal, kept his foot on the gas pedal to take
the first set even if the Mallorcan showed glimpses of his best
with a couple of spinning forehand winners down the line.
    As soon as Zverev eased the pressure, however, Nadal
converted his first break point to take a 3-2 lead in the second
set.
    "Rafa! Rafa!" went the crowd, again, as world number ones
Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic, as well as fellow Spaniard
Carlos Alcaraz, joined the party.
    Nadal served for the set but Zverev levelled and forced a
tiebreak, which he comfortably won.
    There was another break for Nadal in the third set, and some
'I-can-still-do-it' fist pumps after a few jaw-dropping winners,
but two years after Zverev left their semi-final match on a
wheelchair with a broken foot, the German was too good this
time.
    There was a sense of anticipation on the morning of the
Nadal v Zverev clash as Swiatek, gunning for a fourth title
here, kicked off her campaign with a 6-1 6-2 demolition of
French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.
    Swiatek has now won her last 15 matches in Paris following
her back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023.
    Coco Gauff also made a strong start, dispatching German
Julia Avdeeva 6-1 6-1 for her 50th Grand Slam match victory.
    The 20-year-old American, who won the U.S. Open last year to
break her Grand Slam duck, is looking to claim her first French
Open title after losing the 2022 final in Paris.
    In the men's draw, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner,
seeded second, barely broke sweat as he downed American Chris
Eubanks in straight sets, just like former runner-up Stefanos
Tsitsipas did with Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics.

 (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
 ((julien.pretot@thomsonreuters.com; +33149495370;))