At French Open, Rafael Nadal is latest tennis star seeking last hurrah - ESPN

Rafael Nadal will begin what is likely his final French Open run on Sunday, facing No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in the first round.

The Spaniard has dominated at Roland Garros, winning 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the tournament. His last came in 2022, a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win over Casper Ruud that continued his undefeated record in Paris finals.

However, it's been a bumpy road for Nadal since.

He missed the majority of the 2023 season with a hip injury, then pulled out of the 2024 Australian Open because of similar ailments. Nadal hasn't played in a Grand Slam since the 2023 Australian Open, and has hinted that this season might be his final one.

Nadal is not the first, nor the last, tennis icon who will hope to re-create some magic on the playing surface where they made their name. Here's a look at other last hurrahs by tennis stars at tournaments that helped them make their mark.

Last run: 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0 quarterfinal loss to Hubert Hurkacz in 2021

Federer currently has the most career titles at Wimbledon (8) and won five straight between 2003 and 2007. He was also runner-up four times.

Knee issues hindered Federer after he made his last Wimbledon final appearance in 2019, which he lost to Novak Djokovic. Federer missed the entire 2020 season except for the Australian Open and made his return to a major at the 2021 French Open.

During his final Wimbledon run at 40 years old, he became the oldest man in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals. However, he lost in straight sets to Hurkacz.

Last run: 6-3, 6-4 semifinal loss to Naomi Osaka in 2021

Between the two major hard-court tournaments (Australian and US Open), Williams has 13 combined Grand Slam titles. Seven of those came at the Australian Open, tied