Rafael Nadal, the most successful men’s singles player in the French Open, lost to Alexander Zverev in the first round in what was his earliest exit in the tournament.
Zverev and Nadal had last faced each other in the semifinals of the French Open two years ago where the German, while trailing 7-6(8), 6-6, was forced to retire after twisting his ankle. On Tuesday, he lost 6-3 ,7-6(5), 6-3.
Nadal, who turns 38 next month, however, has hinted that he is far from over, which has also seen the French Tennis Federation cancel a ceremony for him to celebrate his glory.
How many French Open titles has Nadal won?
Nadal has won the French Open a record 14 times, the most in any era -- Amateur or Open -- and his most recent title came in 2022 when he beat Casper Ruud 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 in the final.
List of most men’s single titles won in French Open
| Player | Amateur Era | Open Era | All Time | Years |
| Rafael Nadal | 0 | 14 | 14 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 |
| Max Decugis | 8 | 0 | 8 | 1903, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1914 |
| Björn Borg | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 |
| Henri Cochet | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1922, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1932 |
| André Vacherot | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1894, 1895, 1896, 1901 |
| Paul Aymé | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900 |
How has Nadal fared in the French Open so far?
| Year | Finish | Opponent in last game |
| 2005 | Winner | Mariano Puerta |
| 2006 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2007 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2008 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2009 | Fourth Round | Robin Söderling |
| 2010 | Winner | Robin Söderling |
| 2011 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2012 | Winner | Novak Djokovic |
| 2013 | Winner | David Ferrer |
| 2014 | Winner | Novak Djokovic |
| 2015 | Quarterfinals | Novak Djokovic |
| 2016 | Third round | Marcel Granollers |
| 2017 | Winner | Stan Wawrinka |
| 2018 | Winner | Dominic Thiem |
| 2019 | Winner | Dominic Thiem |
| 2020 | Winner | Novak Djokovic |
| 2021 | Semifinals | Novak Djokovic |
| 2022 | Winner | Casper Ruud |
| 2023 | Withdrew | |
| 2024 | First round | Alexander Zverev |
Ranked 275th in the world, Nadal is unseeded at a Major for the first time since Australian Open in 2005. He has a 5-3 win-loss record on clay this season.
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