“Looking at the draw, I imagine Rafa wasn’t thrilled,” Tournament director is expecting ‘warrior’ Rafael Nadal to beat Alexander Zverev in first round of Roland Garros

Mauresmo is expecting the 14-time French Open champion to fight like a warrior in his last possible appearance in Paris. 

“Looking at the draw, I imagine Rafa wasn’t thrilled,” Tournament director is expecting ‘warrior’ Rafael Nadal to beat Alexander Zverev in first round of Roland Garros

Alexander Zverev, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago)

Rafael Nadal‘s French Open campaign may end sooner than expected as he received a tough start at Roland Garros. In the first round, he will face Alexander Zverev, who won his second Italian Open title this week. Roland Garros director Amelie Mauresmo said she feels Nadal might have been unhappy seeing the draw. 

Nadal is the King of Clay, but so far, he failed reach the semifinals of the three events he has played on the surface since making his comeback. In his last match, Nadal succumbed to a 6-1, 6-3 defeat to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. 

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Zverev, on the other hand, beat Chile’s Nicolas Jarry on Sunday’s final this week in Rome. He is in form while Nadal lost his but Mauresmo is expecting the 14-time French Open champion to fight like a warrior in his last possible appearance in Paris. 

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We knew it could happen. A Nadal-Zverev in the first round is tough to start with. Sascha (Zverev) is in great shape. I just want to be a spectator of this match. Looking at the draw, I imagine Rafa wasn't thrilled. But he is an extraordinary warrior and competitor.
Amelie Mauresmo said as reported by Le Figaro 

The title in the Italian capital was Zverev’s first this season. Before Rome, he last won a title in September last year in the Chengdu Open. 

The dream of facing Rafael Nadal has come true for Alexander Zverev 

For Alexander Zverev, facing Rafael Nadal in the French Open is one of the toughest tasks. He faced the Spaniard in the 2022 French Open semifinal where he ended up injuring his ankle badly. Zverev wished for another match against Nadal in the French Open, which has now been granted. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Image via Imago)
I would love to do it one more time just simply to kind of have a different ending to those memories, right? That’s just something on my mind.
Alexander Zverev said during a press conference earlier this month 

Nadal locked horns with Zverev 10 times and leads the head-to-head record 7-3. Since their first meeting in the 2016 Indian Wells Masters, Nadal secured victories in their next four matches. Then Zverev finally broke the winning streak by beating him in the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. Their last encounter was in the 2022 French Open semifinal.

If Zverev is able to beat Nadal in the first round, it may turn out to be the Spaniard’s last match of the French Open. 

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