Rafael Nadal said he was not ‘100 per cent sure’ if he would be returning to the French Open next year after suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Alexander Zverev on Monday (May 27) in Paris. 

Speaking after the match where he went down in straight sets to the German, Nadal said if it was his last hurrah at the Philippe Chatrier, he had enjoyed it. 

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“It is difficult for me to talk. I don’t know if it is the last time that I am going to be here in front of you. I’m not 100 per cent sure but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it,” said Nadal in the post-match interview. 

“The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation. The feelings I have today is difficult to describe in words but for me, it is so special to feel the love of people in the place that I love the most,” he added. 

After his courageous performance against fourth-seeded Zverev, Nadal kept the door open for a potential comeback on the big stage with the Paris Olympics being his next target. 

“I needed something else. I was competitive but Sascha (Zverev) has been brilliant. There is a big percentage that I will not be back but I cannot be 100 per cent sure. I’m travelling well. The body is feeling better. Maybe in two months, I say it is enough. But it is something that I don’t feel yet. I hope to be back on this court for the Olympics, that motivates me. I really hope to be well prepared.”

Nadal’s injury woes

Nadal has been struggling with injuries for the last two years which has limited his game time. Since January last year, he has only played 15 matches as a hip injury and muscle tear have kept him in rehabilitation. 

He returned to action on his favourite surface – clay, playing at Barcelona and Madrid Masters before also giving a go in Rome. However, he was beaten in the second round in Barcelona by Alex de Minaur.

The Spaniard took revenge on the Australian in Madrid before being knocked out by Jiri Lehecka in the last 16. He was then beaten comfortably by Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the Rome Open.

His French Open exit was the first time he had been knocked out in the opening round of the Grand Slam. As for Zverev, he joins the elite company of Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic as the only men to have defeated Nadal on clay in Paris. 

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