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Alexander Zverev: Only time will tell whether people have witnessed him playing for the final time, but fans rose to cheer Rafael Nadal after a spectacular match against Alexander Zverev, who caused a huge upset by beating the 14-time winner in the men's singles first round of the French Open 2024 here on Monday.

Fourth-seeded Zverev handed Nadal a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 defeat on Monday afternoon, the 27-year-old German becoming the first man to defeat Nadal before the fourth round at Roland Garros and joining Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic as the third man to defeat Nadal on the Parisian clay courts.

Nadal found moments of his vintage best tennis, especially with his trademark forehand passing shot. But Zverev's booming serve, aggressive forehand, and calm under pressure proved too much to overcome after three hours and five minutes.