Rafael Nadal goes down fighting against Alexander Zverev in earliest French Open exit

PARIS – Rafael Nadal crashed to his earliest exit at the French Open on May 27 after a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 first-round defeat by fourth seed Alexander Zverev, with fans wondering if the 14-time champion will return to the Grand Slam he has ruled for two decades.

The 22-time Major champion, who won the Musketeers’ Cup for the first time in 2005 and last raised the trophy in 2022 before a serious hip injury derailed his career, had previously said 2024 could be his final one on the tour.

Having returned to the tournament that he skipped in 2023 and refusing to confirm any farewells ahead of his opener, Nadal showed flashes of top form again on Court Philippe Chatrier but the 37-year-old ultimately went down fighting.

On whether this was his Paris swansong, the 14-time winner said: “I am not 100 per cent sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it. The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation and the feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words.”

He added: “I am not 100 per cent sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it. The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation and the feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words. But for me it’s so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt in the place that I love the most.”

Victory meant Zverev became only the third man to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, after Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling, with the German banishing memories of his retirement due to an ankle injury when the duo last met in the 2022 semi-finals.

Nadal was broken by in-form Rome champion Zverev in the opening game and surrendered his serve again late on to drop the first set in unfavourable conditions for him with the roof closed due to heavy rain.

Faced with the prospect of only his fourth Roland Garros defeat in 116 matches, Nadal made a positive start to the next set as he leapt and pumped his fists after holding for 2-2 and broke for the first time with a delicate drop.

The crowd began to sense a comeback as Nadal went ahead 4-2 with some vintage shots on both flanks but the steely Zverev hit back in the 10th game and saved two breakpoints before doubling his advantage by edging a high-octane tiebreak.

Watched on by his great rival Djokovic and a host of other current players, Nadal surged to a 2-0 lead in the third set but squandered it as Zverev drew level and dealt another body blow in the seventh game.

The boisterous crowd tried their best to roar Nadal on but Zverev held his nerve to clinch a famous victory that could well prove to be the springboard he needs to push for an elusive first Grand Slam title. 

“To be honest I don’t know what to say. First of all, thank you Rafa from all of the tennis world. It’s such a great honour,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.

“I’ve watched Rafa play all my childhood and I was lucky enough to play Rafa when I became a professional. I was lucky enough to play him two times on this beautiful court. I don’t know what to say. Today is not my moment, it’s Rafa’s moment, so thank you.”

In an earlier match, Italian world No. 2 Jannik Sinner looked fully recovered from his injury problems as he saw off American Christopher Eubanks 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Sinner, the Australian Open champion, withdrew from the Madrid Open and missed the Rome Masters with a hip injury, but was back in form at Roland Garros as Eubanks exited at the first hurdle for the second successive year.

“The hip is good, I’m glad that my team and myself, we were working very hard to be on court as soon as possible,” Sinner said.

“For sure, the general shape is not at 100 per cent yet, so we try to build every day.”

“Honestly, I’m just happy to be back on court, I was injured, so I’m very happy to be back here,” he added.

“It’s a very special tournament for me, it was the first time in a quarter-final of a Grand Slam, so I have some great memories.”

Later, former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas kicked off his campaign with a no-nonsense 7-6 (9-7) 6-4, 6-1 victory over Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics.

In the women’s draw, top seed Iga Swiatek cruised past qualifier Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2 to successfully launch her title defence at the French Open, where she seeks a fourth title on the Paris clay.

The 22-year-old world No. 1, who has won the French Open three times in the last four years, arrived in Paris on the back of a 12-match winning streak on clay, having rolled through the tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

“Matches like that give me a lot of satisfaction,” said Swiatek, who next faces former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the second round. “Overall, I am happy with my performance.”

The Pole’s dominance in recent years, especially on clay, has seen Swiatek compared with Nadal.

“I think it’s too early. For sure I’m proud of my achievements,” said Swiatek. “It’s always been my favourite surface. It is where tennis gives me the most pleasure.

“Comparing me to him, I don’t think I am on that level yet. I still have many things to prove. I’m just at the beginning.”

On May 26, Osaka swept to her first victory at the French Open in three years on May 26, beating Italy’s 48th-ranked Lucia Bronzetti on the showpiece Court Philippe Chatrier, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

The 26-year-old fired 31 winners, including six aces, and 45 unforced errors in a match where she gave up a 4-0 lead in the decider before finding herself 5-4 down.

However, she rallied strongly to register her first win at a Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian Open.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, eighth seed Ons Jabeur began her latest attempt to win an elusive Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over American wildcard Sachia Vickery.

Coco Gauff also made a strong start in her bid to win a maiden French Open title as she eased past German world No. 208 Julia Avdeeva 6-1, 6-1 for her 50th Grand Slam match victory.

In overnight matches, Andy Murray, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2016 and still the only British man to make the final since 1937, lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to Stan Wawrinka.

The Swiss becomes only the third man over 39 to win a match at the French Open since 1980.

“My first words are for a great champion,” Wawrinka said of Murray, after their 23rd career meeting.

Murray, 37, said he is proud of his French Open career even if “when you compare it to what Rafa or Novak achieved, it obviously is minuscule”. “But most players would sign up for the results I’ve had. I played a final, four semis – I lost to Novak in five, Stan in five, twice to Rafa. No shame in that.”

In the women’s draw, Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 champion, swept past Jaqueline Cristian while former Australian Open winner and 2020 Roland Garros runner-up Sofia Kenin came back from a set down to defeat Laura Siegemund of Germany.

However, 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova was knocked out 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 by Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland.

Krejcikova has suffered three successive first-round losses in Paris since her title breakthrough. AFP, REUTERS