After being eliminated from the Olympics by a pair of American doubles specialists, Rafael Nadal has most likely played his final match at Roland Garros. This is because he and his partner Carlos Alcaraz were eliminated from the competition.
In a match that was nothing short of extraordinary, Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek triumphed over not only the singles player who has achieved the most success in the history of this court, but also what gave the impression of 15,000 angry spectators.
It was not that the Americans were unpopular; rather, it was just that all of the spectators did not want to see Nadal leave the court. The Spaniards’ yelling became increasingly loud as they got closer and closer to being eliminated. The atmosphere was similar to that of a boisterous Davis Cup match, as the spectators cheered for the players from the United States who had missed their first serves as if they were yelling for the Spanish to win.
In spite of this, Nadal was able to advance to the semifinals of the tournament after Krajicek executed the most tenacious of service holds to secure the victory by a score of 6-2 and 6-4. The final shot, which was a flawless Krajicek “can-opener” serve that hit the line and continued on for a clean ace, was welcomed with almost total quiet from the audience.
Both Nadal and Alcaraz had already advanced through two rounds of competition, but this opponent was on a very other level. The famed Bryan brothers were included in the American team’s player box, and to tell you the truth, one could not help but question if Bob and Mike could have done a better job than they did in this flawless performance.
Krajicek and Ram broke at the early opportunity, targeting Alcaraz at the net as Nadal served first. They were brutal in their returns, and their own service games were so flawless that they didn’t give up a single break.
The closest that the Spanish came to breaking serve was in the penultimate game, when the crowd were kicking up a major rumpus. It felt like Krajicek was often having to wait for 30 seconds or more for the noise to settle down before he served, and the chair umpire was reduced to helplessness as she continued imploring “Please, please, the players are ready.”
In the face of strong pressure from all sides, the Americans dropped back to 15-40. Yet their self-belief was never rattled. Playing under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier, and in front of a collection of celebrities which included Irish golfers Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, they produced a quality of tennis which should make them favourites for the championship.
Nadal – who suffered a chastening 6-1, 6-4 loss to old nemesis Novak Djokovic in the second round of the singles event – has not offered any clarity on his retirement plans. It is doubtful whether he will return to the court where he won a mind-boggling 14 French Open singles titles.
When his ailments were at their worst, some 14 months ago, Nadal said that his 2024 would mark a farewell tour of the world’s biggest tennis stadiums.
As things have panned out, his season has produced a mixed bag: stretches of stronger form in between severe physical setbacks. In May, he begged French Open organisers not to prepare a goodbye ceremony for him, adding that he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t come back next year.
Meanwhile, the quarter-final opponents of Andy Murray and Dan Evans have been announced as another American combination, as Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul upset the Dutch combo of Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Roger on Wednesday afternoon.