When his name appeared on line 33 of the table, just above that of Rafael Nadal, murmurs ran through the Orangerie d’Auteuil. All attentive observers of the circuit knew it: for the first time unseeded at Roland-Garros, the Majorcan legend with 14 titles was exposed. By booking Alexander Zverev for his first round and perhaps final match in the tournament that shaped his legend, the computer had no regard for his past accomplishments.
His final visit to his beloved Parisian clay court is therefore likely to be cut short. Because Nadal’s last appearance in competition in Rome was not at all reassuring (dry defeat in the 2nd round against Hubert Hurkacz 6-1, 6-3, NLR) and because Zverev was more than impressed by winning this Masters 1000 for the second time in his career. The German is perhaps the most fit and confident player at the moment, and Arnaud Clément, having commented on Eurosport on his quarter-final against Taylor Fritz, knows something about it.
The surprise would be if there was a match
“Zverev has never been as strong as he is right now, with a little more ambitious tennis and more aggressiontestifies our consultant. He takes more initiatives than before. We saw him in Rome doing violence from time to time, going to the net. This is necessary for him to find what he lacks to win a Grand Slam. He is on the right track, with a base which is his pretty crazy quality of service with a huge percentage of firsts and a lot of free points collected.”
In these conditions, it is difficult to envisage a positive outcome for Rafael Nadal, the dynamics of the two men being so opposed. “For Rafa it will be an incredible challenge. We don’t know if he will be able to match. But in a first round, well prepared, with energy, we will see… Everyone is hoping for a surprise, that is to say that there will be a matchadds Arnaud Clément. We knew he was very short when he started again at Barcelona, we thought it would go better in Rome, that wasn’t the case. The very dry score against another big server, Hubert Hurkacz, and his inability to maintain the intensity for longer than a few games… But hey, he had two more weeks of preparation, you never know.”
Two years after their dantesque half, a hell of a wink
The fate was therefore particularly harsh for the Bull of Manacor. But it’s hard not to see in this coincidence a real wink of destiny. Alexander Zverev symbolizes to this day the last great fight led by Nadal at Roland Garros. Two years ago, during an extreme semi-final in terms of intensity, the two men had been battling for more than three hours and less than two sets when a shrill cry resonated in the Philippe-Chatrier court. The German had just torn three ligaments in his right ankle, bringing the fight to a dramatic end.
Tears and abandonment: Zverev’s nightmare against Nadal
How much could this memory weigh on the head of the great Sascha during the upcoming 1st round? Could he see this match as an opportunity to take symbolic revenge for his past misfortunes? “I think Zverev’s injury is behind him, psychologically, considers our consultant. He already returned to Roland last year. It’s certain that if he doesn’t take his revenge there… It’s funny because the pressure is obviously on Zverev. Normally, everyone who has played Rafa on earth forever has no pressure.“
If Rafa wins, it’s huge, incredible, otherwise it’s normal
An opinion shared by former Spanish champion Alex Corretja, also a consultant for Eurosport. “I was stunned when I saw the drawhe explains to us. I realized this might be the toughest match of the tournament straight away. If Rafa wins, it’s incredible, huge. Otherwise, it’s normal. It would be very unexpected given his form but nothing can surprise us coming from him when we know all the success he has had here. Even if it’s one of the worst opponents he could take in the first round, it will relieve him of this pressure.”
And the former captain of the French Davis Cup team continued: “There is an emotional side to manage, even if it is Zverev, even if he has experience. It’s a match that will be very special in his Grand Slam career, even though it’s only a first round. And we know that one of the faults that Zverev may have had in his Grand Slam career is being involved in five-set matches against players within his reach. When he played Rafa two years ago, he wasn’t the favorite. He had played his match, he had let go. It’s not the same this time. There are quite a few unknowns in fact before this part.”
No male favorite? “We find ourselves in the situation of women’s tennis 2, 3 years ago”
However, it is clear that the balance is tipping in Zverev’s favor. And some observers and unconditional admirers of Nadal must regret that the Spaniard did not have better luck for what has a good chance of being his last participation in the tournament. The dream of a Jimmy Connors-style epic at the 1991 US Open or even a beautiful Roger Federer-style run (on one leg) at Wimbledon in 2021 has undoubtedly passed.
But for Arnaud Clément, it’s perhaps not worse. “Even if he comes out quickly, he might as well come out against one of the big favorites of the tournament rather than against a player little known to the general public.he finally points out. I’m also sure that Zverev is not happy to draw Nadal in the 1st round. Because Nadal was not seeded, this had never happened except when he was 8 years old, and even years when he was less favorite for other reasons, he happened to win Roland.”
