On Monday May 27th, Rafael Nadal returned to his hallmark competition: Roland Garros. Two years after his glorious 2022 victory, when he was crowned champion for the fourteenth time by tournament by defeating the young Casper Ruud, the 37-year-old Spanish athlete has once again stepped onto the French tennis courts greeted by his fans with a warm ovation. His opponent this afternoon was the German tennis player, Alexander Zverev, currently ranked fourth in the ATP standings after his recent victory at the Rome Masters 1000.
Paris has always been a special place for Rafa Nadal, and his fans were hopeful for a remarkable return. However, despite a valiant effort, Nadal was unable to secure the win. Zverev defeated the Mallorcan athlete 6-3, 7-5 (5), 6-3 in a 3-hour and 5-minute match. This made the German player the fourth opponent to defeat Nadal at the French Open, where Nadal’s record is now 4 losses out of 116 singles matches, giving him a winning rate of 97.4%.
This highly anticipated return comes after a 12-month hiatus due to a grade 2 injury to his left iliopsoas muscle, for which he underwent surgery last June at the Teknon Clinic in Barcelona. During that operation, an old injury to the labrum in his left hip was also addressed.
For this tournament, Nadal had the support of his loved ones. His wife, Mery Perelló, his sister, Maribel, his mother, Ana María, his father, Sebastián, his uncles, and his mother-in-law, María, were all present in the stands to cheer him on. His 16-month-old son Rafael, who had already captured everyone’s attention at the Madrid Open, was also present.
Could this be Nadal’s last Roland Garros?
Rafael Nadal is gradually saying goodbye to professional tennis. However, according to Amelie Mauresmo, the tournament director, it’s very likely that he will return to Paris in 2025 because he wants to avoid a farewell tribute this year. “He wants to keep his options open. We are not going to pressure him to make any decisions. It is his choice when he wants the recognition, which is why we won’t be doing it this year,” she explained.
During an emotional speech after the match, Nadal said, “Accept the moment. If it’s the last time that I played here, I am in peace with myself. I tried everything to be ready for this tournament for almost 20 years. And today and the last two years I have been working and going through probably the toughest process in my tennis career with the dream to come back here, no? At least I did. I mean, I lost, but that’s part of the business.”
Roland Garros is the tournament that made Nadal famous. At just 19 years old, Rafa earned his first French Open trophy, known as the Coupe des Mousquetaires, becoming the eighth Spanish player to win it. He has repeated this accomplishment thirteen more times. Nearly two decades have passed, during which his fans have seen his highs and lows (especially during injury-filled seasons). Today the athlete has grown from a promising teenager into a celebrated tennis legend, family man and successful entrepreneur.