Rafael Nadal confirmed what he hinted at previously, that this year's Roland Garros might not be the final one he'll ever play.
Weeks ago, the Spaniard admitted that this year's Roland Garros is probably the final one he'll play in his career. Recently, though, he admitted that it might not be the final time he'll ever play in Paris, and he reiterated that after losing in the opening round of the event.
Nadal battled Alexander Zverev for three hours in round one of the event and lost in straight sets. After the match, he said this might not be the last time that he played at the French Open.
The way he framed it is totally fair because he said that he simply doesn't know which is true as the situation is very fluid. It might end up being the final time, but it might not be as well.
"The amount of energy.. it’s difficult for me to talk. I don’t know if it’s gonna be the last time here in front of all of you. I’m not sure. But if it’s the last time I enjoyed it."
Nadal will likely embrace these upcoming weeks and he'll take it day by day when considering future decisions. If things go well and his body heals up, he might extend his career beyond 2024 because he still feels the passion to compete, especially when playing in front of a packed stadium.
"The crowd was amazing during the whole week of preparation. Today the feelings I have are difficult to describe in words. For me it so special to feel the love of the people in the place I love the most."
On the other hand, if his body doesn't hold up, he'll simply retire and look back fondly on what he achieved in tennis. It wasn't an ideal goodbye to Paris if this does end up being the final time, but it was still an emotional send-off.
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