French Open: It was just a defeat on tennis court, says Nadal
Jun 12, 2021
Paris [France], June 12 : Rafael Nadal was all graceful after the loss against the World number 1 Novak Djokovic in the thrilling French Open semi-final. The Spaniard lost at Roland-Garros for only the third time in his career.
"No doubt he deserved to win," said Nadal in a post-match conference after four hours of gruelling tennis on Court Phillipe-Chatrier.
Novak gave the third-seeded Nadal a hard time to settle in the crucial moments of the match as he was able to oust the Spaniard 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 to snap his 35-match winning streak on Parisian clay.
Nadal recognised that his chances to win are not eternal in Paris and in tennis one should accept both victory and defeat. 20 times major champion reiterated it's not a disaster at all and it's just a defeat on a tennis court.
"My opportunities to win here are not eternal," Nadal told the Spanish press. "In our sport, you must admit both victory and defeat. I do know that I can't win the tournament 15, 18, 20 times. It's not a disaster at all.
"I'm sad, I lost at the most important tournament of the year for me. But it's just a defeat on a tennis court you know, and tomorrow I'll be at home with my family. That's OK."
Djokovic has now become the first man in history to defeat Nadal twice at Roland-Garros. 13-time champion Nadal now owns a lifetime record of 105-3 at his favourite event.
Nadal also stated that he has not decided what he would do next ahead of Wimbledon, which starts on June 28.
