Rafael Nadal’s Olympic journey has come to a sad end after defeat in the men’s doubles with his partner Carlos Alcaraz.
The beleaguered 38-year-old Spaniard trudged towards the net for the second time this week after being convincingly beaten.
It really is an unusual feeling to watch Rafael Nadal outplayed on the intimidating stage he himself has worked so hard to build.
The 38-year-old was dumped out of the singles by Novak Djokovic in a one-sided match-up that quite predictably couldn’t live up to the expectations we have so lazily taken for granted.
Beside Carlos Alcaraz, they proved an exciting double-act, launching themselves around the court as the King of Clay welcomed in his heir.
Outplayed by experienced American duo Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, Nadal faced the same questions he faced after the Djokovic defeat – is this really it?
Rafael Nadal reveals whether this was his last time on Court Philippe-Chatrier
There wasn’t a moment the crowd stopped cheering, groaning, sighing, inhaling, exhaling, taking in what they reluctantly knew would be one of the last times they would see Nadal on this court.
Speaking after the Olympics defeat, Nadal was asked whether he might ever return to Philippe-Chatrier.
“If it was my last [time] on this Philippe Chatrier court? Maybe, I don’t know,” he admitted.
“If that’s the case, it will be unforgettable emotions. The public gave me love. The fans supported me every second of my matches.”
Just how good has Rafael Nadal been on Philippe-Chatrier?
Quite plainly, no greater tennis feat has been achieved on a single court.
The Spaniard has claimed 14 French Open titles, only ever having lost four of his 116 matches at Roland Garros.
No single French Open final has ever gone to five sets when Nadal has reached that stage, and importantly, he has never lost in the final.
The statue Nadal was erected in honor of his achievements in 2021 even came a tiny bit prematurely, with the Spaniard popping back the following year to win another and give an engraver another bit of work.
His loss to Alexander Zverev in the opening round of Roland Garros this year, followed up by the Olympic defeats don’t make any difference to the history or the magnificence of it all.
All journeys have to end, with that concluding moment, only Nadal’s to choose.
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