Rafael Nadal said he didn’t notice Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek in the stands during his French Open match versus Alexander Zverev but noted that he was “happy” to hear that some of his biggest rivals came to watch what may have been his last appearance at Roland Garros.
On Monday, record 14-time French Open champion Nadal kicked off and concluded his Roland Garros run after No. 4 seed Zverev handed him a 6-3 7-6 (5) 6-3 first-round loss.
Since this was believed to be Nadal’s last French Open appearance, the stands at Court Suzanne Lenglen were packed and it didn’t feature only regular tennis fans but also some of the biggest tennis names.
Djokovic coming to watch Nadal’s farewell drew lots of attention and many positive reactions, while Alcaraz and Swiatek being in the stands was also notable but not surprising considering that both grew up watching and idolizing the Spanish 22-time Grand Slam champion.
There were some other well-known professional tennis players in the stands, including 2022 WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia and former world No. 11 Alize Cornet, who is also retiring after the French Open.
