Rafael Nadal unsure if he's played last singles match on clay

Unless Rafael Nadal returns to Roland-Garros in 2025, he may have played his last-ever singles match on his beloved clay court. The Spaniard suffered a 6-1, 6-4 loss Monday to his longtime rival, Novak Djokovic, in the second round of the 2024 Paris Olympics singles draw. 

After the loss, the 38-year-old was coy about his future in tennis, let alone a potential return to next year's French Open. Nadal cited his recent injury history and said he would retire only if he concluded that he wasn't "competitive enough" to play against the best players in the world.

"I can't spend all day thinking about that [retirement]," Nadal told reporters. "I come here, and you ask me the same thing every day, and in the end, it's difficult to get back to my best form if I think about whether I'm going to retire or not. I have been suffering a lot of ­injuries the last two years. So, if I feel I am not competitive enough to keep going, or physically I'm not ready to keep going, I will stop. But I don't think every day about if I am retiring or not."

Nadal confirmed that he will decide his future after the 2024 Paris Olympics based on his "feelings and desire" to continue playing the sport at the highest level.

When asked again if Monday's match marked his last singles match at Roland-Garros — the venue where he won a record 14 titles — the "King of Clay" had a rather interesting response. 

"If that's the last match here, I'll be in peace. I did my best, and I can't complain," said the 22-time major winner. 

Amid Nadal's uncertain future, fans in New York will witness the iconic tennis player in action at next month's US Open. Nadal — a former four-time winner at Flushing Meadows — has always regarded the hard courts in Queens as one of his favorite surfaces.

Expect a lot of emotions when Nadal returns to the venue for his possible farewell. 

In the meantime, Nadal is trying to capture a gold medal in doubles tennis with his protege, Carlos Alcaraz, at the Paris Olympics. The duo will face the Dutch tandem of Wesley Koolhof and Tallon Griekspoor in a second-round tie on Tuesday. Nadal is a former two-time Olympic gold medalist.