Rafael Nadal’s sister Maribel shares emotional scenes from Spaniard's French Open 2024 exit, pays tribute to his Roland Garros record

Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel paid tribute to the 14-time Roland Garros champion as he bid the Court Philippe-Chatrier farewell for the final time in his career, creating an emotional scene. The Spaniard lost to Alexander Zverev in the opening round of the 2024 French Open.

Nadal returned to the Paris Major for the first time since 2022 after a prolonged injury. On his return, however, he was dealt an in-form Zverev in the first round. The German is the fourth seed in the tournament whereas the Spaniard had to use his protected ranking due to his absence rendering him unseeded and leading to this blockbuster opening match.

Despite his best efforts, the 37-year-old was dealt with his fourth loss at Roland Garros at the hands of Zverev in straight sets after three hours and five minutes. After the match, the Spaniard talked to the crowd where he said though he wasn't 100% sure, there was a huge possibility of it being his final appearance at the tournament.

The emotional Spaniard went on to thank the fans for their continuous support throughout the years and said that it was a special feeling for him at the place he loved the most. As he left the court, Nadal was given a grand standing ovation by the crowd as they showed their respect toward the 14-time champion.

The Spaniard's entire family and team were in attendance to witness the occasion, including his younger sister Maribel, who shared a clip of him exiting the Chatrier amid the applause on Instagram.

She also shared a post by the Rafa Nadal Museum which showed a graphic of Nadal during his early days, from his debut French Open campaign doing the ceremonious post-match handshake with an older version of himself with 14 La Coupe de Mousquetaires on the latter's side of the court.

Maribel's stories

"I am a normal guy who enjoys what he does" - Rafael Nadal

The Spaniard leaves Philippe-Chatrier

During his post-match post-conference, Rafael Nadal was asked what drives him to continue his career to which he responded it was his love for the game and the aspects it brought with it. He also mentioned that he is enjoying traveling with his family and feels healthy enough to continue.

"I am a normal guy who enjoys what he does. I am passionate about sports, competition, I like to train and play tennis. I have a good time traveling with my wife and my son, so I do feel that I am competitive and healthy as to have fun, I will continue for a while."

The Spaniard will try to compete at Wimbledon next before possibly returning to Paris for the Olympics.