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95-ranked Sumit Nagal on his French Open debut faced a defeat in straight sets against Russia's Karen Khachanov on May 27. India's top-ranked singles player was not a match for Khachanov as he lost 2-6 0-6 6-7(5) in the opening round.
The conditions made it tough for the Indian as well. Due to rain, the court became a bit slower and good for players who could endure longer rallies. Nagal started off well against the Russian. Rain interrupted the match and after a 21-minute break, the Russian overpowered the 26-year-old.
The 18th-seeded Khachanov made Nagal run from one end to another The Indian failed to keep up and lost the first two sets comprehensively.
In the third set, he made the Russian sweat. Nagal managed to break Khachanov's serve for the first time in the 10th game of the third set. The scores were levelled 5-5. However, in the tie-breaker the experienced Russian emerged victorious again.
After Nagal faced an early exit, Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri will complete in men's doubles with their partners M.Ebden and Albano Olivetti respectively.
Nadal makes early exit too
Meanwhile, tennis legend Rafael Nadal faced an early exit from Roland Garros 2024 as well. He lost in straight sets to German Alexander Zverev. The 14-time French champion lost 3-6 6-7 3-6. However, the 37-year-old did not announce his retirement from the game.
"The amount of energy.. it's difficult for me to talk. I don't know if it's gonna be the last time here in front of all of you. I'm not sure. But if it's the last time I enjoyed it. The crowd was amazing during the whole week of preparation. Today the feelings I have are difficult to describe in words. For me it so special to feel the love of the people in the place I love the most," Nadal said after the game.
"I enjoy playing a lot and travelling with the family. The body is feeling better than 2 months ago. Maybe in 2 months I say it's enough. But it's something I don't feel yet. I hope to be back on this court for the Olympics. That motivates me. That's going to be another chance," he added.
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