Rafael Nadal’s touching greeting to tennis sensation Alize Cornet brought the Frenchman to tears. Nadal was reacting to the announcement that Cornet will retire from the sport after the French Open.
Cornet made her WTA Tour debut nearly 20 years ago and has been a staple ever since. The 34-year-old, who made her Grand Slam debut at Roland-Garros when she was 15 years old, has revealed that her two-decade professional career will come to a close at the same event later this year.
Unsurprisingly, Cornet received a deluge of notes, but none seemed to strike a chord as strongly as Nadal’s. Cornet was noticeably surprised when she received a video greeting from the 22-time Grand Slam winner during an interview with Canal+. “Bonjour Alize, I just wanted to congratulate you on your amazing career,” the Spaniard stated.
“I simply wanted to wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours. You will undoubtedly perform well, but this is your day; enjoy it and best wishes for the future. Congratulations.”
Cornet, who was both ecstatic and emotional, was left in shock by the message, which caused her to sob into her hand. The focus will now shift to her final Grand Slam and WTA event performance in Paris next month.
While Cornet is presently ranked No.107 in the world, she is anticipated to receive a wildcard into the main draw. Cornet will make her 20th appearance at the French Open, and she also holds the Open Era record for the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances (68).
Cornet told Canal +, “I have a very special announcement to make to you.” I’ll play my last Roland-Garros in a month and then retire. The timing is appropriate as it marks the end of a lengthy journey. I simply feel like it’s time. I don’t want to be forced out; I want to choose. And now is the time for me to say farewell to tennis.”
French Open qualification begins on May 20th, with the main draw starting on May 26th. Both Cornet and Nadal will be hoping for deep runs in the competition, with the women’s final on June 8th and the men’s tournament concluding on June 9th.
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