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Victor Petkov
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Nadal fights until the end, but crashes out in French Open vs Zverev
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The 14-time Roland Garros winner records his earliest defeat in Paris at what could be his last appearance

Rafael Nadal crashed to his earliest exit at the French Open on Monday, losing 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in the first round to fourth seed Alexander Zverev. This defeat left fans questioning whether the 14-time champion will return to the Grand Slam he has dominated for two decades.

Nadal, a 22-time major champion, first won the Musketeers’ Cup in 2005 and last lifted the trophy in 2022 before a severe hip injury disrupted his career. He had hinted that this year might be his final one on the tour. Despite skipping the tournament in 2023, Nadal showed flashes of his top form on Court Philippe Chatrier but ultimately succumbed to Zverev in a hard-fought match.

With this victory, Zverev became only the third man to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros, joining the ranks of Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling. The German also erased memories of his retirement due to an ankle injury when the duo last met in the 2022 semi-finals.