The immense triple challenge that awaits Zverev against Nadal
Alexander Zverev will challenge Rafael Nadal in the first round of Roland-Garros in what is widely regarded to be the biggest challenge in tennis
Alexander Zverev, Rome 2024 | © Imago / Panoramic
“At first I thought it was a joke,” is Alexander Zverev‘s first reaction when he learned that he was to face Rafael Nadal in the first round of Roland-Garros 2024.
275th in the world and unseeded, the Spaniard had a good chance of coming up against a big name early on, but in drawing Zverev, both men had been handed close to the hardest possible opening task.
Even if he will logically start as the favourite given the current context, with Nadal far from being at his best level, recent Italian Open champion Zverev will have to overcome three huge challenges if he wants to get past the first round of Roland-Garros.
The first, is to beat the Spaniard, a man with 22 Grand Slam titles and the aura of 14 Roland-Garros titles behind him.
Even though he has already beaten the Mallorcan three times, including once on clay in 2021 in Madrid, Zverev will face the pressure of having to face Nadal in the first round of a Grand Slam, where the German himself will be the favourite. That alone puts an entirely different complexion on the match.
ON CLAY, NADAL MOVES BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE
Starting one of the biggest tournaments in the world against a legend of the game can lead you to doubt yourself. Zverev has points from a semi-final appearance last year to defend and has everything to lose on Monday against Nadal. He will have to show all his mental strength to overcome the obstacle that presents itself.
The second challenge for the world No 4 is to beat Rafa on clay. The Spaniard will play on his best surface, where he has only 48 defeats in 527 matches played. He moves better than anyone on clay and has a blind confidence in his game that makes him almost invincible on this surface.
Zverev will have an undeniable asset on his side, having already beaten the Mallorcan on clay in Madrid in 2021. But in the Spanish capital, the altitude makes Rafael Nadal’s topspin less effective and the challenge is not quite the same as it is in the lower altitudes of Paris or Rome. The 22-time Grand Slam champion also avenged that defeat at the Italian Open just a week later. The German has been warned.
NADAL IS AT HOME ON THE PHILIPPE-CHATRIER
The third and final challenge is to face Nadal on Philippe-Chatrier. Only two players have managed to defeat the Spaniard on the centre court of Roland-Garros, Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015 and 2021.
The 37-year-old knows every nook and cranny of the court and feels right at home on the biggest clay court in the world.
On Philippe-Chatrier, the Spaniard is a different player. He moves better, he hits harder, he’s just better than anywhere else.
In 2022, Zverev said, “we went to see him in training with my father, it’s crazy. I feel like he’s at home here, that when he’s at Roland‐Garros, naturally, he hits the ball 30% harder. That’s crazy.”
In 2022, the German had certainly played the best match of his career in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros against Nadal, but had not managed to take a set from the Spaniard.
If he achieves the impossible on Monday by succeeding in this triple challenge that awaits him, Zverev could well propel the German to the status of favourite for this year’s tournament, despite it only being a first-round win on paper.
