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Rafael Nadal’s shocking first-round exit at the French Open was hard on Coco Gauff. Seeing The “King of Clay,” potentially bid goodbye to Roland Garros was a heartbreaking sight for the American. Despite holding the record for most titles at the event and returning from injury, he wasn’t given a seeded position, a tradition that has ignited controversy. First John McEnroe and now Gauff’s coach have spoken out suggesting this tradition-bound approach might have put Nadal at a disadvantage.

Brad Gilbert, the head coach of American sensation Coco Gauff, thinks clinging to the established order cost Nadal a shot at another French Open title. Many believe that with this being Nadal’s possible swansong at the Roland Garros, an unseeded opponent up first may have helped him to go further.

Venting his frustration on X (formerly Twitter), Gilbert suggested that the results would have been very different had Nadal been a seeded player in the tournament. Even before the match Gilbert had voiced his concerns when the draw was announced.

Rafael Nadal‘s journey at the Roland Garros came to an end after the Spanish star suffered a straight-set loss against Alexander Zverev. With the match ending 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in favor of the 4th-seeded player, Rafa’s chances of a fairytale ending at the French Open have likely ended with retirement imminent.

This loss comes after a 15-month absence due to hip surgery, raising the specter that his reign at his signature tournament might be over.

For two decades, Rafael Nadal reigned supreme on the Parisian clay. With only 3 losses in 115 matches, he redefined clay court mastery. However, his incredible Roland Garros success might be coming to an end. “It’s incredible, the amount of energy, It’s difficult for me to talk,” Nadal said post his difficult first-round match. “I don’t know if it’s gonna be the last time if I’m going to be here in front of all of you. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it.”

“The feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words but for me it’s so special to feel the love from the people, in the way that I felt in the place that I won the most,” Nadal further added.

Meanwhile, earlier legend John McEnroe also criticized the decision of not giving Nadal a seed in what is possibly his last French Open campaign.

He said, “It doesn’t make sense for someone who has won 14 times not to be seeded. It’s the way the tournament has always acted. It’s crazy to me. It’s the most interesting first round of a major that I can remember and the toughest of the Open Era for someone like Nadal.” In response to these concerns French Open director had commented earlier saying the seedings won’t be changed due to a player.

He explained, “Today, it is his sporting level, it seems, which has fallen. He is not hampered. So, we will not adjust the seedings in his favor.” 

After Nadal’s exit he gave what might be his farewell speech at the venue. Coco Gauff, who was busy in her first round match against Julia Avdeeva talked about how she felt when she came across Nadal’s address. “I was watching it like in the press room but like in an office and we were just watching the speech. Luckily, he didn’t cry I think if he cried, I would have cried. I was getting a little bit emotional cuz it’s like literally all I’ve ever known my whole life is him winning here.”

Sadly, Nadal’s shocking French Open exit casts a shadow over his participation in the upcoming Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal could skip Wimbledon after emotional first round French Open exit to Alex Zverev

Rafael Nadal is likely to skip Wimbledon and appears set to prioritize the upcoming Olympic Games on clay at Roland Garros after his disappointing first-round exit at the French Open. With a realistic shot at a medal, Nadal is focusing his recovery on these familiar courts. He even has plans to team up with reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in a potentially dominant doubles pairing.

When asked about Wimbledon, Nadal acknowledged the logistical challenges: “Looks difficult, honestly. I need to talk with team. But I don’t think it’s going to be smart after all the things that happened to my body [to] now make a big transition to a completely different surface and then come back immediately to clay, no?”

Thus, despite the result, Rafael Nadal managed to get support from his peers. While Brad Gilbert suggested that he would have managed to make his way further had the French Open decided to grant him a seed, Ben Stiller came ahead and extended his heartfelt support while suggesting that he would be there by his side no matter the result.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Rafael Nadal should have been a seeded player at the event? Do let us know in the comments below!