Exclusive: Alexander Zverev’s brother Mischa backs him to defeat ‘slower’ Rafael Nadal at French Open
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Published 24/05/2024 at 11:35 GMT
Rafael Nadal will take on Alexander 'Sascha' Zverev in round one of the French Open, in what could be his final ever appearance on the Parisian clay courts. Mischa Zverev, the world No. 4's older brother, is confident that the German can gain revenge for the 2022 semi-final at Roland-Garros. In that one, Nadal had a walkover win after a Zverev injury.
Nadal trains with Wawrinka as French Open edges closer
Alexander Zverev has been backed by older brother Mischa to defeat Rafael Nadal in round one of the French Open, and bring a final end to the reign of the 'King of Clay'.
Nadal has battled greatly with injuries throughout his career, missing 16 Grand Slams. It makes his return of 22 major titles - second only to Novak Djokovic (24) in the all-time rankings - even more remarkable.
However, there is a growing feeling in the tennis world that this year will be his last on the pro circuit, with the Spaniard having three more shots at glory: firstly at Roland-Garros in the next fortnight, then Wimbledon, followed by the US Open.
The clay courts of southern Paris is where the 37-year-old has enjoyed his greatest success, blasting away all comers to lift the French Open trophy a record-breaking 14 times.
The last of those triumphs came in 2022, when Nadal went up against 'Sascha' Zverev in the semi-finals - a truly enthralling encounter, but one that was over in less that two sets.
In a matchup that lasted three-and-a-quarter hours, Nadal took the first 7-6 (8) after Zverev squandered four set points, before the gripping second reached 6-6.
At that point, the German agonisingly rolled his right ankle and was forced to retire. After the walkover, his opponent went on to beat the inexperienced Casper Ruud in the final.
The pair have now been drawn in the opening round of the 2024 edition, live on discovery+ on Sunday.
They approach it with Nadal struggling for both fitness and form, down in No. 276 in the ATP rankings, while the 27-year-old is fresh off an Italian Open victory and No. 4 in the world.
Previewing the contest, his sibling and former member of the ATP Tour, Mischa, told Eurosport: "How did that go a few years ago? A three-hour match that ended without a match point because Sascha got injured and couldn't finish.
"He was then out of action for six or seven months. Rafael Nadal won his last French Open back then. Now they're playing each other again in the first round, but a lot is different.
"Sascha is seeded and Rafa isn't even in the top 100, which hasn't been the case for more than 20 years. Everyone is asking me: Mischa, how will it turn out? What do you think?
"I've always said that Sascha could and should have won it back then. And he will win it this time too, because Rafa has become a bit slower and his fitness is no longer the same.
"The shots may still be the same, but the big question is whether he can play them over five sets. I think the winner will be Zverev in the end and I hope it will be over in three sets.
"Nevertheless, it will be a very tough match - perhaps not in terms of play, but emotionally, because it could also be Rafael Nadal's very last match at the French Open.
"The crowd won't really be able to decide whether they want to see a great match or simply Rafa on the Philippe-Chatrier once again.
"Both of them will go into the match with a lot of courage, with nervousness, but also with the strange feeling that the era of Rafael Nadal could come to an end on the red clay of Paris."
You can watch every day of the 2024 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+.
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