The 53-year-old thinks that Nadal will turn more competitive eventually by playing a few more matches.

Alexander Zverev, Patrick Mouratoglou, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago, Wikipedia)

Alexander Zverev became the third player to beat Rafael Nadal on the Parisien clay court. On Monday (May 27th), Zverev secured the victory with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6(7-5), 6-3 and thereby knocked Nadal out of his possible last Roland Garros.

Nadal has been dealing with form issues post his comeback so doubt loomed over his participation in his favorite event due to the fear of injuries. Watching Nadal play against Zverev, French coach Patrick Mouratoglou said he did not find Nadal dealing with fitness issues.

He was finally able to make the preparation he wanted. The good news is that he doesn't seem injured at all, he was able to play an entire match with incredible intensity and a significant duration. Certainly, he had a bit of up and down, he was less consistent than Zverev, but that's completely normal, if only because Zverev has competed a lot more recently.

Patrick Mouratoglou said (via We Love Tennis)

The Frenchman also felt Nadal was unlucky to play Zverev in the first round as the German has played a lot of matches in the past so he had the rhythm while Nadal lacked that. The 53-year-old thinks that Nadal will turn more competitive eventually by playing a few more matches.

Rafael Nadal hopes to be back at Roland Garros

19 years have passed since Rafael Nadal won his first title on the clay court in Paris in 2005, and the loss in the first round was just his fourth defeat in the French Open. For many, the number looks ridiculous. Those who have watched Nadal become the ‘King of Clay’ will find it strange not to see him play at Roland Garros anymore.
Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev (Image via Imago)
Though the current tournament is considered his last one, he is hoping to come back. However, it is not clear whether Nadal talked about the next year or the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart; I hope to see you again, but I don’t know.

Rafael Nadal said after the match

Nadal added that one of his goals is to play in the Olympics and that he wants to gain confidence day by day. He also felt he played better against Alexander Zverev as compared to the matches he played before.

The Spaniard missed last year’s French Open due to injuries. His last title in the tournament came in 2022 when he defeated Casper Ruud to clinch his 14th crown as well as his 22nd Grand Slam trophy.