“I don’t think he’ll play the French Open again in 2025” : Boris Becker on Rafael Nadal
Former six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker has suggested that Rafael Nadal will not compete at the French Open in 2025. This is following the Spaniard’s straight sets loss at the hands of Alexander Zverev in the first round of the 2024 French Open.
Rafael Nadal stated that he is yet to take a decision on his future, as he hinted at coming back to Paris to compete at Summer Olympics in a couple of months time. Boris Becker believes that the Spaniard could decide to end his career this season, as injuries continue to take a toll on his physical well-being.
Rafael Nadal gave a good account of himself in the first round defeat to Alexander Zverev. The German wa always the heavy favorite heading into this encounter, given that Rafael Nadal had not played a Grand Slam match since the 2023 Australian Open.
“I believe that Rafa will still play the Olympics at Roland-Garros. But I don’t think he’ll play the French Open again in 2025. Of course, he has emotions and probably had a sleepless night because he didn’t know whether it would be the last time,” Becker said.
“He wanted to say goodbye well. Then his opponent was Zverev, against whom he can lose even on a good day. That’s why it was emotionally very difficult for Nadal,” he added.
Boris Becker reveals how Alexander Zverev got the better of Rafael Nadal in the first round
Boris Becker opined that Alexander Zverev got his tactics spot on in his first round victory against Rafael Nadal. The German stated that he worked his way into the rallies, by pushing Rafael Nadal further away from the baseline.
Alexander Zverev grew comfortable as the match progressed, as he dominated their rallies. “Sascha started with a deep return and then worked his way into the rallies. The longer the rallies became over the course of the match, the better Zverev got. That’s unusual against Nadal – and he’s the king of Paris,” Becker opined.
“He dominates the baseline and the centre of the court because he can then send his opponent running. It was the other way round today due to Zverev’s positioning,” Becker added.
Alexander Zverev has been in pretty good form, winning the Italian Open a couple of weeks ago. With Novak Djokovic struggling for consistency this season, and with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner struggling with injuries, this could be a great opportunity for the German.
As for Rafael Nadal, he is expected to skip Wimbledon next month, and focus on the Paris Olympics. The event will be played on the clay courts once again. The Spaniard claimed a gold medal in the Singles Event at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, which was also his first appearance at the event.
