L: Alexander Zverev; R: Rafael Nadal; In circle: Novak Djokovic (Via Imago/X)

Zverev eventually won the match in straight sets, giving Rafa fans a heartbreak

Rafael Nadal’s opening match against Alexander Zverev was the long-awaited Roland Garros match that fans were anxious to watch since the draw. But, surprisingly, it was not only the tennis fans who were eager to watch the match but World No.1 Novak Djokovic was also at the Philippe-Chatrier court.

Nadal was aiming to spring a miracle in what is a difficult draw for the Spanish legend. The 37-year-old would turn 38 on June 3rd and was hoping he would remain in the tournament for a rewarding birthday ceremony by the Roland Garros. But, that went all down to Alexander Zverev’s exceptional performance today.

Zverev was the favorite to win the match following his excellent run at the Italian Open that saw him win his first title of the season. The German is also a two-time semifinalist at the Roland Garros and last played against Nadal in the 2022 French Open. Although he was 3:7 down in the head-to-head against Nadal before Monday’s showdown, Zverev has reached three semifinals this season and has performed well.

Besides that, hours to the game tennis fans from all over the world were seen at the Philippe-Chatrier court to watch what might be the last Rafael Nadal‘s Roland Garros match. With a jam-packed crowd in the stands, Novak Djokovic was among them in a white cap smiling as usual. The Serbian will play his opening match tomorrow against French Pierre-Hugus Herbert as he hopes for a good start.

Additionally, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek were in the stands. Both players had already won their opening match but came to see their idol play. Alcaraz beat American J.J Wolf 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 yesterday, while Swiatek won her match earlier today beating Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2.

However, as of the time of writing this article, Zverev cruised through the match 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. It was the second time in 116 matches played at the Roland Garros, that Nadal was trailed by 2 sets to 0 at the French Open after the quarter-finals in 2015 loss to Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal’s farewell ceremony at the Roland Garros canceled

The Roland Garros organizers canceled Rafael Nadal‘s farewell ceremony after the 37-year-old revealed that it may not be his final tournament at the French Open. The Spaniard has won the clay major event for a record 14 times and has won 112 matches out of 116.
Rafael Nadal speaking after his loss against Alexander Zverev at the 2024 French Open (Via Imago)
Nadal admitted that he is better now after going through several injuries in the past two years.

It’s a big, big chance that it's going to be my last Roland-Garros, but if I have to tell you it’s 100% my last Roland-Garros, sorry, but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on. I have been going through a long process of recovery from a very difficult injury, almost two years of suffering, a recovery process that seems like I feel better now.

Rafael Nadal said in the on-court interview after his round one loss

The Spanish star has won five matches since April. At the moment how things stand, he is hoping to see how far he can go before hanging his racket.