WATCH: Rafael Nadal waves goodbye to Philippe-Chatrier crowd amid huge applause after losing Paris Olympics 2024 doubles QF with Carlos Alcaraz

Rafael Nadal left the Philippe Chatrier to huge applause from the crowd after his quarterfinal defeat in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nadal's pairing with Carlos Alcaraz lost to Team USA's Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in straight sets.

Nadal, who has been dealing with injury troubles for quite a while, returned to tennis at the European clay swing this year where he played his first match on clay in 681 days at the Barcelona Open. He followed it up with participation at the Madrid and Rome Masters and finally at the French Open. However, the Spaniard seemed to be a shadow of his former self.

After an underwhelming swing, the 38-year-old skipped the grass season for the Paris Olympics which are being held at Roland Garros on clay. He later confirmed that he would be entering singles and forming a blockbuster duo alongside reigning French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz for doubles.

Nadal's run in singles was short-lived. After a topsy-turvy three-set win over Marton Fucsovics, he was ousted by long-time rival Novak Djokovic in straight sets, in what was their 60th meeting.

In doubles, the Spanish duo kicked off their campaign in style by defeating sixth-seeds Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzales. They followed it up with yet another impressive win against the Dutch duo of Wesley Koolhof and Tallon Griekspoor.

However, Alcaraz and Nadal's dream run came to an end in the quarterfinals. They lost to fourth-seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 2-6, 4-6 in an hour and 37 minutes.

The 14-time Roland Garros champion, who is possibly in the final season of his career, waved the Philippe Chatrier crowd goodbye, in what may be his final match at the prestigious court. He received raucous applause from the crowd.

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The Spaniard at the Olympics (Image source: Getty)

After his loss, Rafael Nadal said that it could have been his final dance at the Philippe Chatrier. However, he felt that if that was the case he was happy that the event was high on emotions.

"Was it my last (time) on this Philippe Chatrier court? Maybe, I don't know. If that's the case, it will have been with unforgettable emotions. The public gave me love. The fans gave me love. They endured every second of my matches."

Rafael Nadal is the most decorated player in Roland Garros' history with 14 titles. A statue in his honor was also unveiled at the site of the tournament in 2021.