From Australia, China and the US, Rafael Nadal fans on Monday descended on a chilly and damp Roland Garros, hoping to inspire their “superhero” to victory at the French Open.
In the end, many were reduced to tears as the 14-time champion slumped to a straight-sets loss to Alexander Zverev in his first-ever defeat in the opening round, likely signaling the end of the 38-year-old’s Grand Slam adventure in Paris.
Nadal matched world No. 4 Zverev for long periods on a packed Court Philippe Chatrier, but slipped to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 loss as he was beaten for just the fourth time in 116 matches at the tournament.
Photo: Reuters
“Personally, I’m very sad. He’s Rafa, a legend,” Mateo Castro, a 41-year-old French fan, said with tears in his eyes. “It’s hard to see him go.”
Michael Lundell, another Nadal fan who had traveled from Genoa to Paris to watch the match, was also in tears.
“I was crying, because I don’t think there has ever been another role model like him before in sports,” the 43-year-old said.
This year’s event was expected to be the 14-time champion’s farewell to Roland Garros, but he had since insisted he could not confirm “100 percent” it would be his last appearance.
“If it is [the last time], then you have been amazing,” Nadal told an adoring crowd under the Chatrier roof. “The feelings I have today are difficult to describe in words. It is the place I love the most.”
“It was a great match, I saw Rafael Nadal with an exceptional level again,” said Gregory Dubus, a 50-year-old French fan. “I’ve been following Nadal since 2005, his first victory here at Roland Garros, and to see him here, maybe in his last match was exciting.”
Like many fans at Roland Garros, there was a feeling that they were witnessing the end of an era.
“A player like Rafa, you never want him to retire, he’s a humble player, with an exceptional attitude on the court and in life, nobody wants him to stop,” Dubus said.
Before the start of the match, fans had hailed a player dubbed a “superhero”.
“You always have to keep the faith in Rafa, he will win,” said Hazel, a 28-year-old fan who had flown in from China for a second straight year after being left disappointed when Nadal withdrew last year.
“The most important thing is that he stays healthy,” she said, as she proudly showed the banners she had made with the colors of Spain, Nadal’s face and the message: “Welcome back my super hero.”
Meanwhile, women’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek made a winning start in her bid for a fourth title, racing to a 6-1, 6-2 victory against French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean after just 61 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Swiatek today faces fellow four-time major champion Naomi Osaka.
The 22-year-old Pole is aiming to become the first woman to win three straight Roland Garros titles since Justine Henin in 2007, and only the second ever after Serena Williams to win the Madrid, Rome and French Opens in the same year.
‘DEVASTATED’: Argentina’s win was a reversal of their 28-24 defeat last week, with Australian forward Fraser McReight adding that ‘we did the same thing last week’ Argentina flyhalf Santiago Carreras punished an undisciplined Australia with 23 points off the tee as the Pumas held on grimly for a 28-26 win in Sydney yesterday to breathe new life into their Rugby Championship campaign. A try-fest beckoned in afternoon sunshine at Sydney Football Stadium, but Argentina needed only one through captain Julian Montoya, with Carreras doing the damage with seven penalties and a conversion in front of a sell-out crowd. A week after letting a 14-point lead slip in a 28-24 defeat to Australia in Townsville, Argentina saw most of a 21-point advantage erased in the final quarter as the
ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS: Blake Snell allowed two singles and two walks against the Rockies as he ended a personal three-game skid with his first win since Aug. 16 Blake Snell on Wednesday struck out a season-high 11 in six innings, while Mookie Betts hit a grand slam in the eighth as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-0 for their fourth straight win. Helped by their third series sweep of the Rockies this MLB season, the Dodgers increased their National League West lead to three games over the San Diego Padres, who lost 2-1 at home to the Cincinnati Reds. Betts went four for five with five RBIs, capped by his seventh career slam on a 3-0 pitch from reliever Anthony Molina to make it 8-0. Andy Pages and
Captain Vijay Kumar led the way yesterday as the Hsinchu Titans claimed the Taiwan Premier League title at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山), beating PCCT by 27 runs. The weather was a topic again, but not the rain that played a role in previous matches in the often-delayed tournament. Kumar, who made 80 not out from 63 deliveries, and teammate Vishwajit Kumar (58 from 43) rescued the Titans from a precarious state at the end of the power play in the T20 match. The visitors were put in to bat and struggled to 26-3 as PCCT
China’s state-run People’s Daily newspaper on Monday published an essay about Chinese basketball it said was written by LeBron James, but a representative for the NBA star said on Thursday that the article was based on a series of interviews. The paper, better known as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, had said James authored the essay, “Basketball is a Bridge that Connects Us,” a tribute to Chinese players and fans of the sport written in the first person. “LeBron James Pens an Article in the People’s Daily,” read a post published on the newspaper’s official WeChat account. On Thursday, a representative
RSS