Rafael Nadal loses at French Open

Rafael Nadal experienced a shocking early exit at the French Open, losing to Alexander Zverev in the first round with scores of 3-6, 6-7, 3-6 at Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday. This is the first time Nadal has ever been knocked out in the opening round of this tournament.

Nadal has been dealing with Muller-Weiss syndrome, a condition affecting the joints in his foot, and has not played since last year's Australian Open due to additional back and hip injuries. His long absence led to a drop in his ranking, and for the first time in his French Open career, he entered the tournament unseeded, facing a tough opponent right from the start.

Despite this defeat, Nadal's record at Roland Garros is extraordinary. He has won 14 titles in 19 appearances, the most singles titles ever won by any player at a major tournament. His 0.966 winning percentage (112-4) at the French Open is also the best for both men’s and women’s grand slam singles titles.


Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com