Spanish Rafael Nadal may not have his long-awaited Roland Garros, where he fell to a solid Alexander Zverev in the first round, although the 14-time winner has not ruled out a return next year, in a farewell fight.
conclusion, 6-4, 7-6(5) and 6-3Apart from the Spaniard's effort in the second set and the start of the third game, the German calmed down to raise the level to give his opponent no confidence, and it was as fascinating as a single dominating match. And cheered him on.
Natal though He refused to say goodbye, and there were plenty of signs that it was a farewell. The stands were packed for the first round, an unprecedented gathering of the Spanish faithful to attend a miracle or the end of a cycle.
It's the second, though Natal First of all Time In his entire career he suffered two consecutive defeats on clayIt left some impression that he was not far from the first class of tennis.
At the end he bid farewell to the audience, promising that it would “definitely” be his last dance at Central, though he reiterated that he wasn't 100% sure, before thanking them for their support: “It's hard to describe what I'm feeling right now, it's something very special and I'll always keep it in my heart.”
Nadal assured he still has time to compete against the likes of Zverev, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old showed his commitment to another year is not as delusional as some have suggested. His dream of returning to Paris for the Games in two months is possible.
The German, whose success has fueled the genre's most uncertain version of choice in recent years, has wanted to hear the passage for some time, but at 27 he sees time passing without lifting a major version.
He is the only active tennis player to reach the semifinals in Paris in the last three years. A dramatic match against Nadal in 2022 left him in a wheelchair after breaking his ankle.
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