As the French Open 2024 draw was released, all eyes were on Rafael Nadal to see who he would face upfront. Unlike the previous years, Nadal goes into the tournament unseeded, using his protected ranking. Thus, he was bound to face some big players right from the first round itself. And it was no surprise to see Rafael Nadal drawn against the fourth seed, Alexander Zverev. However, their clash took a surprising turn, and tennis legend Martina Navratilova expressed shock.

Recently, the odds for the match between Zverev and Nadal were released. Despite Nadal being the tournament’s most successful player, he had odds of +330, while Zverev’s odds of winning were -430. As a result, Navratilova couldn’t digest the fact that Nadal had such odds in the first round itself. During an interview, she expressed her feelings on this matter, saying, “How crazy is the fact that you could triple, more than triple money betting on Rafa to win on clay in the first round?”

Further, she went on to add, “Really, think about it. Too bad that ankle sprain happened on so many levels for Sasha Zverev of course but it would be a fun match to watch. We’ll get the replay but Rafa is so pragmatic. That’s the draw, I accept it.”

As the French Open nears, so are the days in Nadal’s career. While many are expecting the clay-court Grand Slam tournament to be Nadal’s final tournament of his career, it seems like he has other plans. As a result, this also led to a disagreement between him and his family, which was exposed by a renowned commentator.

What happened between Rafael Nadal and his family over retirement plans?

Nadal’s family and his coaching staff want the Spaniard to end his career at the French Open. However, Nadal is thinking of playing in the Laver Cup later this year and retiring there like his rival and good friend, Roger Federer, did. This led to some contradicting views in his team and family, which a renowned sports commentator, MaryCarillo,o explained.

She said, “It sure seems like his team of family and coaches want the French Open to be his final appearance, but Rafa is fighting that; you know, he’s not ready to say yeah, I’m gonna this is the end for me.” Further, she added, “Everyone seems to now want to retire at the Laver Cup, you know after Roger did. Now it sounds like Rafa wants to do that.”

However, for now, Nadal has kept his full focus on the French Open and hopes to dig deep in the tournament. Can the Spaniard have one last laugh before he calls time on his illustrious tennis career? Let us know your views in the comments below.