Rafael Nadal, what now?

If the Spaniard was unable to do anything against Alexander Zverev in the first round on Monday, he displayed a promising level of play and made an appointment at the Olympic Games in two months.

The miracle did not happen. Rafael Nadal was able to line up in the first round of this Roland-Garros 2024. But he was not able to overthrow Alexander Zverev, in a meeting which looked like a last lap for the artist adored by the public of the Auteuil gate. Eliminated in the first round for the first time at Roland-Garros (in 19 appearances), the Spaniard could well have played his last match “his home”, on the Philippe-Chatrier court. Or not.

The truth is that even he doesn’t know if he will have the strength to push for another year. Almost 38 years old (he will be on Monday), and after two years undermined by injuries, the man with 14 Porte d’Auteuil coronations (out of 22 Grand Slam titles) has not made a decision. “This is the last time I find myself here in front of you. Well, I’m not 100% sure. If this is the last time, I would have taken advantage of the moment”, confided the Spaniard as he left Chatrier.

The question of the future of the king of Roland-Garros was however on everyone’s lips. Even more so after his successful performance against Alexander Zverev. Because if the Spaniard left the Porte d’Auteuil in his first match, he did so through the front door by pushing the world number 4 to his limits, particularly in the second set. Enough to even impress the followers.

Consultant for franceinfo:sport, Arnaud Clément explains having seen “very, very high level passages” between Alexander Zverev, “a perfectly confident player who has just won Rome” and a Rafael Nadal “capable of competing for 2h30 with one of the big favorites of the tournament.”

He adds : “Against another opponent, it would undoubtedly have gone much better. It would have allowed him to gain confidence and subsequently be better against a top seed. But we will not change history. He missed the constancy in effort, in intensity, in intentions, in confidence.”

In other words, if the draw had spared him, Rafael Nadal could have done well in this tournament, if we stick to the level displayed against Alexander Zverev. The Majorcan also affirmed this at a press conference: “I showed that I was ready for more than what I ended up doing, which was losing in the first round. When you are not seeded, you play against a player who is in great shape and who is one of the best players in the world. This is how.”

The Spaniard owes this return to form in particular to his week of training in Paris, which impressed the circuit. On the hunt: Sebastian Korda (28th) Tuesday, Stan Wawrinka (98th) Wednesday, Daniil Medvedev (5th) Thursday, Mariano Navone (31st) Friday and Holger Rune (13th) Saturday, all beaten by the Majorcan.

Friendly confrontations which allowed the “Taurus of Manacor” to regain a level that had not been known for too long, the fruit of the three hours daily that he had put in since his early arrival in Paris, a week before the tournament.

This special treatment was a must for Rafael Nadal, after a long crossing of the desert caused by his physique: “My body has been a battlefield for two years. I went through two very difficult years because of injuries, I overcame all that to return to Roland-Garros.”

“It’s the tournament that I love the most in the world. (…) There is a high percentage that I won’t come back here, but I can’t say it 100%. I feel better physically that two months ago maybe in two months I’ll say it’s over.”

But for now, the Spaniard has other objectives,“Like the Olympic Games here”he confided, with a smile to the Parisian public, thus giving him an appointment on July 27. “I hope I will be well prepared”declared the Spaniard, who hammered home the following message: he wants to play the Games, on clay, at Porte d’Auteuil, before taking stock, even if he has already been officially announced at the Laver Cup, which will take place from September 20 to 22.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen over the next few months. I have to complete this process. My mindset is that I’m ready to play until the Olympics,” said Rafael Nadal. “Then I will see how I feel on different levels in terms of personal motivation, body level, physical level and tennis level as well. I will see if it makes sense or not to continue playing.”

In subtext, if he does not close the door to a final lap at Roland-Garros 2025, Rafael Nadal is instead drawing the scenario of a retirement at the end of the year, a few months after the Olympic Games, where he could line up in doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. All without going to Wimbledon one last time, which will take place from July 1 to 14.

“It’s difficult to play Wimbledon on grass to return to clay with the Olympic Games, two weeks later, Nadal justified. I can’t confirm anything, but I don’t think it would be smart with everything that happened to my body. I have the impression, at least today, that it’s not a good idea.” The career of the “Bull of Manacor” could therefore end in Paris: it remains to be seen when.