Rafael Nadal is an icon of modern sport and the news of his retirement has saddened the whole world. Everyone knew that the end of his career was very near, but fans hoped that the Spanish legend would play a few tournaments in 2025 as well. The former world number 1 had seriously considered this hypothesis, which is why he did not want to receive any farewell ceremony either in Rome or at the French Open, but changed his mind after the Paris Olympics.
Roland Garros and the Olympic tournament were his two main goals in 2024, but the result was disappointing in both cases for several reasons. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was not particularly lucky in the draw at the French Open, having had to face Alexander Zverev already in the first round.
The Spaniard played a good match against the German ace, who reached the final, but his level was not high enough to achieve the feat on the iconic Philippe Chatrier. Rafa tried to win another medal at the Olympics over the summer, playing both singles and doubles alongside his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, but failed to achieve his goal. In singles his run ended in the second round against his eternal rival Novak Djokovic, also due to an injury suffered on the eve of that match, while in doubles the run of the two Spanish champions stopped in the quarterfinals.