The King of Clay played his last Rolan Gaross match

Rafael Nadal has been struggling for more than two years, refusing to give up and hang up his racket, to go where everyone sees him – into retirement. Deep down, he probably knows it's the end, that he can no longer compete with the best. However, the animal instinct that carried him through his career is still present, pushing him and telling him not to give up, but his body simply can't keep up anymore. He realized once again that he is no longer able to challenge the top players, this time in Paris. The King of Clay has played his last note at Roland Garros! Rafael Nadal put up a fight, but it wasn't enough to take even a set from Alexander Zverev, let alone do more and advance to the next round – 3:0 (6:3, 7:6, 6:3).

He was eliminated, but Rafael Nadal cannot be disappointed. After all, he was sent home by a man who won the Masters in Rome just about ten days ago and gave him a real challenge. He wasn’t an easy target, and the German player didn't devour him. Zverev had to pull some tricks from his sleeve, especially in the second and third sets when the Spaniard found his rhythm. As time went on, Nadal looked better, moved more easily, and managed to cover the net, but he couldn't truly threaten the man who had retired from their semifinal match at Roland Garros two years ago due to injury, while Nadal went on to win his last Grand Slam trophy.

Rafael Nadal fought for over three hours in Paris, with Alexander Zverev overwhelming him like a snake constricting a frog. Zverev forced long rallies, stretched him across the court, and waited for his concentration to falter and his stamina to wane. This had to happen eventually, as the ‘Mallorcan Bull’ has been out of rhythm for a long time, exiting tournaments early during this clay season. Madrid was an exception, where he managed three wins in the magic box. Paris, however, confirmed that the King of Clay's current limits are the first or second round.

In all the sets, Alexander Zverev served quite well, especially when Rafael Nadal had break points. He allowed Nadal to break his serve only once. Zverev was slightly more aggressive and composed in the long rallies, although he struggled when it came to closing out the match. He had a tough time in the third set. His errors kept the Spanish player in the game, but when seriously pressured, he stepped up his performance. Zverev won four consecutive games in the third set, definitively breaking the resistance of the tenacious Spaniard and advancing to the second round of the third Grand Slam of the season. The final set, like the second which went to a tiebreak, could have gone Nadal's way. The German player's hand trembled, but he managed to steady it in the end. Alexander Zverev made 44 winners, ten more than the Mallorcan Bull. He served and returned better, with the same number of unforced errors and points won at the net as Nadal. Overall, he justified his role as the favorite and, in front of Carlos Alcaraz, advanced to the next round, where he will face either David Goffin or Giovanni Perricard. As for Rafael Nadal, this might have been his last participation in the tournament, where he has been unrivalled. However, since he refused a farewell at Roland Garros, it's quite possible he will appear next year—if his body doesn't give out.