PARIS -- lost in the first round of the French Open to 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Monday in what might turn out to be the 14-time Roland Garros champion's last match at his favorite tournament. Nadal has indicated 2024 likely would be his last season before retirement, but he said Saturday that . And he reiterated that after Monday's defeat, only his fourth in 116 career matches at the place.
When it ended, in anticlimactic fashion, with 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal simply unable to play at his usual level after 1 1/2 years of hip and abdominal injuries, he thanked the raucous Court Philippe Chatrier crowd for the "incredible the amount of energy" it provided throughout the 3 hours, 5 minutes of play. "It's difficult for me to talk. I don't know (if) it's going to be the last time I am here.
I am not 100% sure," said Nadal, whose 1 1/2-year-old son, Rafael Jr., sat on his mother's lap in the stands. "If it's the last time, I enjoyed it.
" It is the first time in his long and illustrious career that Nadal has been beaten in two consecutive matches on clay courts and the first time he has dropped a match earlier than the fourth round at the French Open. The match was played with the retractable roof shut, and the loud chants of "Ra-fa!" from most in the capacity crowd of about 15,000 echoed. Nadal turns 38 on June 3 and he has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries since January 2023, limiting him to 15 matches and an 8-7 record since the start of last year.
His infrequent .