Yes, Rafa Nadal lost in the first round against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Nadal missed some key points and his backhand fell too short. The Spaniard has won 14 Grand Slams in Paris, and he was the dominate. But now, his body is super sore when he is running and he has slowed down. The reality means that eventually he must retire. Nadal knows that his career is ticking.
When will say goodbye? Not yet. He isn’t sure whether he can play at Wimbledon — which is doubtful — or the US Open, but he really wants to play the Olympics.
Maybe the 37-year-old Nadal will rise up for a few more months. However, he doesn’t really know whether he can smash his brilliant forehand, hour after hour.
“My body has been a jungle for two years and you don’t know what to expect. I wake up one day and I found a snake biting me; another day, a tiger,” Nadal said, who has won 22 Grand Slam with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. “It’s been a big fight with all of the things I went through, but the dynamic is positive the last few weeks. I felt ready. I need to clear my ideas now and see what the new calendar is for me to be ready for the 2024 Olympics [in Paris]. I need to prepare myself the proper way: to try to arrive here healthy and well prepared – and then let’s see.”
Zverev looked almost excellent, recently winning Rome. Clearly, he has a legitimate chance to win the tournament, but it is early.
The same thing goes with Novak Djokovic, who was not happy when he lost in Rome. The No.1 can look amazing, with his steady forehand and his backhand, but he can be inpatient at times. He beat Pierre Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4. At least now, he is feeling better.
“He gave me a lot of trouble on his serve, serve and volleying, but from my side I’m pleased with the performance,” Djokovic said.
Taylor Fritz continues to play much more aggressively, beating Fererico Coria 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. He would really like to reach the second week on the dirt. Fritz looked pretty good on the clay, but he has to succeed versus the other very good players. He has to be more patient.
Swiatek versus Osaka
On Wednesday, the No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face another four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka. Swiatek has won Roland Garros three times, as well as winning the US Open, while Osaka has never gone deep into the second week in Paris. But she won the Aussie Open and the US Open twice, on the hard courts. The Polish Swiatek can beat everyone, as she just won Rome, hitting some wonderful shots. She can get frustrated, but then she can immediate focused it, into the corners. However, she did say that Osaka is a phenomenal striker.
“She’s a great person, and her game style is pretty fun to watch as well,” Swiatek said.
Osaka just game came back this year, so she still is working with her legs. However, she is very strong, and she can try to nail it with the ball. She will try that, but on clay, she won’t like to sit there and just try to grind it. Swiatek will do everything, and she win it in two hard sets.