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We’re used to tears at the Roland Garros tournament<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But during this 2024 edition, which comes to an end on June 9<\/strong>, they sometimes had the irremediable and definitive character of a funeral. With the added bonus of sad, rainy weather befitting this type of event.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n France’s Aliz\u00e9 Cornet<\/strong> was the most emotional moment<\/strong> of the year, as she bade farewell for good, without holding back her tear glands…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In contrast, men’s tennis legend Rafael Nadal, like his fellow tenniswoman, bowed out of the first match<\/strong> of the tournament on May 27 against Alexander Zverev<\/strong>, but announced that he had not yet made up his mind to retire forever from the tennis courts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As for Novak Djokovic<\/strong>, the world’s No. 1 player, he admitted that, at the age of 37, he finds it more difficult to maintain a constant level of motivation<\/strong>. But while he got the tournament off to a good start, he has yet to raise the prospect of retirement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Be that as it may, there is a certainty, or sometimes just the impression, that pages are being turned at this edition.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On May 28, 34-year-old Frenchwoman Aliz\u00e9 Cornet lost her first match<\/strong>, the 1002nd of her career, on the main Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland Garros. The player from Nice, 107th in the world, lost in two sets (2-6, 1-6) to China’s Qinwen Zhen<\/strong>, the eighth-ranked player in the world and a finalist at the last Australian Open.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Aliz\u00e9 Cornet had announced from the outset that this tournament would be the last of her career<\/strong>. And she let the tears flow unabashedly at the tribute ceremony<\/strong> dedicated to her. Applauded at length by the audience, she received a trophy of honor<\/strong> from former tenniswoman Am\u00e9lie Mauresmo, now tournament director, and Gilles Moretton, President of the French Tennis Federation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The highlights of the twenty-year career<\/strong> of the woman who began her career at the age of 15 and now boasts six singles titles, as well as the record for the number of Grand Slams played in a row (69), were shown on the big screen. All the more reason to turn up the emotional heat…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI already cried yesterday watching Rafael Nadal<\/strong>. I cried again today. I’ve held it together so far, but now the emotion is overwhelming me. I’ve been preparing for this moment for weeks, but I don’t think you’re ever ready to say goodbye,\u201d she declared.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On Monday May 27, Aliz\u00e9 Cornet witnessed the defeat of her Spanish \u201ccolleague\u201d, also in his first match and also on the Philippe Chatrier court.<\/p>\nPossible retirement?<\/h2>\n