Rafael Nadal has said that he may have played his last match at the Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris, where the French Open (Roland Garros) finals are contested, after he and Carlos Alcaraz were knocked out of the Olympics men’s doubles on Wednesday.
The Spanish dream team lost their quarter-final 6-2, 6-4 to the US fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
When it was over, 38-year-old Nadal — who has won the French Open on the same court 14 times, more than half of his haul of 22 Grand Slam trophies — soaked in the applause accompanying his exit from the red clay.
When asked if it was his last match on the court, he said: ‘Maybe, I don’t know. If that’s the last time, for me it’s an unforgettable feeling and emotions.’
After collecting his equipment from the sideline, the 38-year-old Spaniard looked around the place that has meant so much to him during his time in tennis and waved to the spectators, who were bidding adieu with the latest in a series of standing ovations for him during these Olympics. Nadal paused before stepping through the doorway that leads toward the locker room, and Alcaraz placed his right hand on his partner’s left shoulder.
‘If that’s the last time (here) for me, it’s an unforgettable feeling and emotions. They give me the love and support every single second that I have been on court,’ Nadal said about the spectators, who clapped and yelled and sang for him throughout the quarter-final match.
‘It’s super, super special to feel that, particularly in this place. So I can’t really thank all of them enough for giving me the feelings I have inside myself and the emotions they make me feel,’ he continued. ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but if that’s the last time, I enjoyed it.’
Nadal has not announced anything about a possible retirement, but given his age and recent history of injuries — including hip surgery in 2023 — it is unlikely he will continue playing at the level he has up to now. He has already slumped to 161 in the world and faces relentless questions over his future. He said on Wednesday that he doubts he will compete in the US Open, which starts in late August.
‘I need some time (to decide), but for me, (it) looks difficult,’ Nadal said.
Nadal won gold medals for Spain in singles at Beijing in 2008 and in doubles at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. This time around, he was defeated in singles on Monday by rival Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam winner at the age of just 21, is through to the men’s singles quarter-finals at the Olympics, in which he is the second seed. But he said teaming up with Nadal had been unforgettable.
‘It was an unbelievable experience for me. It’s something I will never forget, that’s for sure — playing on the same side of the net (as) Rafa,’ Alcaraz said after the match. ‘I tried to enjoy every single second that we played together.’
Nadal is as popular a player who ever has competed at Roland Garros. So popular that there is a steel statue of him that stands just outside Chatrier.
No llores porque terminó, sonríe porque sucedió.
— RTVE (@rtve) July 31, 2024
Hasta aquí llega el camino de Nadal y Alcaraz como pareja de dobles en #Paris2024. #ParisRTVE31J
Gracias por hacernos soñar.
Gracias por hacernos disfrutar.
Gracias por luchar hasta el final.
𝑰𝑵𝑶𝑳𝑽𝑰𝑫𝑨𝑩𝑳𝑬… pic.twitter.com/dGPmLUjj1c
🥺 Oh cette image : très ému, Rafael Nadal quitte le court Philippe Chatrier après son élimination en double
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 31, 2024
(La main sur l’épaule d’Alcaraz…)
Suivez les Jeux de #Paris2024 en intégralité sur Eurosport via Max pic.twitter.com/B6w0htzUeH
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