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Rafael Nadal said he did not know if he had played his last match at the French Open but revealed appearing at the Olympic Games at Roland Garros this summer is “motivation” to continue his career after defeat to Alexander Zverev. The 14-time French Open champion, who turns 38 next week, said there is a “big percentage” his defeat to fourth seed Alexander Zverev was his last match at the tournament he has dominated for almost 20 years . Nadal was handed a brutal first-round match with Zverev one of the contenders for the title after winning in Rome last week, and the 27-year-old became just the third player, after Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling, to beat Nadal in his 116 matches at the French Open , In an emotional on-court interview after the defeat, Nadal said he was given hope by his performance, but said it was “difficult” to talk about his future.

Nadal spoke in front of a packed Court Philippe-Chatrier, the scene of Nadal’s 14 French Open titles, and addressed a crowd that included wife Xisca, baby son Rafael Jr and fellow tennis stars Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. Here’s Nadal’s post-match speech in full "It is difficult for me to talk, I don’t know if it’s the last time I’ll be here in front of all of you. Honestly, I am not 100 per cent sure.



“If it is the last time, then you, the crowd, have been amazing. Today the feelings I have are difficult to describe in words. For me, it is so special to feel the love in the place I love the most.

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