The dream run of Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles category at the Paris Olympics came to a tragic end after the pair crashed out of the event following a quarterfinal loss at the hands of the American duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Nadal and Alcaraz lost in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 at the Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris - a stadium that has witnessed sheer dominance by Nadal at the French Open.
Though the 22-time Grand Slam winner has not made any announcement regarding his retirement from the game, he did mention that the loss put an end to a stage which he had outlined as a goal at the beginning of the year.
"This doesn't affect anything. In the end, my future as a professional depends on my desire and feelings when I have to make the decision or not. For me, a stage has ended; I had set the Olympics as a goal since the beginning of the year," Nadal was quoted as saying beIN SPORTS after the loss in the quarters.
"Has this cycle ended? I'll go home, disconnect, and once I have a clear idea of my next stage, whether with a racket in hand or not, I'll let you know," he added.
Nadal clarified that he has played the sport for his "personal satisfaction" and will walk away from it when he doesn't "feel the motivation and ability to continue".
"I believe I've always put in enough effort to finish this journey with the personal satisfaction of having done everything possible and the peace of mind of having given my all on the court," the Spaniard continued. "I'm at peace. When I have clear motivations and desires, or on the contrary, if I don't feel the motivation and ability to continue, I'll take another path," Nadal said.
