WATCH: Draw ceremony crowd gasps for air as Rafael Nadal draws Alexander Zverev in the first round of Roland Garros 2024

Rafael Nadal leads Alexander Zverev in head-to-head 7:3 ahead of the first round match on Sunday.

WATCH: Draw ceremony crowd gasps for air as Rafael Nadal draws Alexander Zverev in the first round of Roland Garros 2024

Alexander Zverev, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago)

Facing Rafael Nadal has always been a fear for many players, especially at the French Open. With 112 wins in 115 matches, the Spanish star is understandably regarded as the best player to ever grace the Roland Garros. However, with recent struggles with injury and an aging body, his stay at the tournament looks to end in the first round after being drawn against Alexander Zverev.

Zverev, who is in the form of his career, just recently won the Italian Open in Rome. The German has reached three semifinals this season and hasn’t lost an opening game in his last four tournaments this year. He is a three-time French Open semifinalist and a Grand Slam runners-up. And looks set to end Nadal’s short stint at his final Roland Garros.

On the other hand, Nadal has been struggling for form since the clay season began. His major run was at the Madrid Open, where he reached the round of 16 and played some exciting tennis. Though he earned his first Top 20 win in Madrid, he couldn’t do the same when he met Hubert Hurkacz, a Top 10 player in Rome.

FS Video

Meanwhile, many were expecting Nadal to get a qualifier or Top 50 opponent in the first round of the Roland Garros. But it was shockingly World No.4 Zverev. In a viral video on X (formerly known as Twitter), immediately after Nadal was announced to face Alexander Zverev, there was a reaction from the draw room audience followed by murmurs.

Nevertheless, Nadal will be hoping to do a miracle against Zverev when they face on Sunday. The Spanish star leads 7-3 in their head-to-head series on the ATP circuit. The last time they met was at the 2022 French Open semifinals, which Zverev was forced to retire after sustaining an ankle injury, but the match had lasted nearly three hours and 13 minutes.

The winner between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev will face David Goffin or French wild card Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the second round. Two-time quarter-finalist Holger Rune is a potential fourth-round opponent for Nadal or Zverev.

Alex Corretja believes Rafael Nadal can do whatever he likes at the Roland Garros

Alex Corretja believes Rafael Nadal should embrace the battle rather than bother himself ahead of his Roland Garros opening match. Nadal arrived at the Roland Garros on Monday and has been training hard every night.

He is hoping to make a big statement after Rome’s second-round exit, but Corretja believes he doesn’t have to impress anyone.

Alex Corretja(L), and Rafael Nadal(R)
Alex Corretja(L), and Rafael Nadal(R) (Via Imago)

He’s been practicing on Chatrier to test himself and I think he needs to let it go, just go for everything he has. I think it’s difficult to talk from the outside, but I hope that he can just go there and just do whatever he can.

Alex Corretja said via Eurosport

The last time Nadal played at the French Open, he won the title defeating Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final.

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