The French Open Tennis Tournament occurs in France. - Zverev anticipates the return of Nadal's previous form.
Alexander Zverev, the Olympic tennis champion, has expressed his confidence in Rafael Nadal's form ahead of their highly anticipated match at the French Open. In an exclusive conversation with Eurosport, he asserted, "Eventually, he'll step onto the court here and be the regular Rafael Nadal we're accustomed to, as he often does. He didn't win any clay event in 2022 either, returned here, and completely outplayed everyone. For me, there's no doubt and I anticipate his best performance."
The injury-prone 37-year-old Nadal has demonstrated inconsistent results since his comeback to the tour in mid-April, but will be considered the underdog for the upcoming duel with the fourth-seeded German. Zverev commented, "Obviously, a challenging draw for both of us."
Having won the Masters 1000 championship in Rome last week, Zverev has taken on the mantle of a favored contender for the second major tournament of the year. "I'm very content with my performances there. However, things will be different here," he stated. "It's all about adapting to the alterations." The pace is substantially slower, and the balls are significantly slower than those in Rome, according to Zverev.
Both Nadal and Zverev are likely to face enthusiastic support from the spectators, but Zverev hopes for encouragement from the audience as well. "I've always had a fantastic rapport with Paris, making it significant. The French fans are very vocal. When they root for you, it's far more charming than when they're against you," revealed Zverev, who has advanced to the semifinals of the clay court classic these past three years. Sadly, he was forced to retire during the final showdown against Nadal last year due to a serious injury.
Reproduced with permission:
[Image: (c) Eurosport/Panoramic]
Narrative of the Month:
Rafael Nadal, Olympic tennis champion, Alexander Zverev, French Open, clay court king, French fans, title favorite, Masters 1000 tournament, Rome
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Source: www.stern.de
