Zverev thought brother was joking when told he had drawn Nadal
PARIS : Germany's Alexander Zverev thought his brother was joking when he informed him he was playing 14-time champion Rafa Nadal in the opening round of the French Open.
Alexander Zverev Sport News
Zverev thought news of drawing Nadal for French Open was a joke - ESPN
PARIS — Alexander Zverev thought his brother was joking when he was told he would be facing 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the opening round of the French Open.
Rafael Nadal Faces Alexander Zverev At Farewell French Open As Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka Eye Clash
Rafael Nadal will face world number four Alexander Zverev in a blockbuster first round match at his farewell French Open while women's champion Iga Swiatek and fellow four-time major winner Naomi Osaka are on a second round collision course. Defending men's champion and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will face French veteran Pierre Hugues-Herbert in his opener. Nadal, who has won Roland Garros on 14 occasions, is unseeded after injury saw his ranking plummet to 276. He and Zverev met in the semi-finals in 2022 when the German was forced to retire after suffering a serious ankle injury. Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, will turn 38 next week and this season will be his last on tour.
Rafael Nadal faces Alexander Zverev in French Open first round - ESPN
Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field after all, and the 14-time champion was set up for a challenging first-round matchup against Alexander Zverev from Thursday's draw.
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Novak Djokovic Backs Rafael Nadal For French Open Title
Novak Djokovic on Tuesday said Rafael Nadal was his favourite to win the French Open, despite the record 14-time champion struggling for fitness in the twilight of his career. World number one Djokovic is tuning up at the Geneva Open this week before the second Grand Slam of the year begins in Paris. He said if Nadal was in the French Open draw, he could not be ruled out, despite his injury problems and growing competition from a younger generation. "This year is more open," French Open defending champion Djokovic told reporters at the Parc des Eaux-Vives grounds in Geneva. "Casper Ruud is surely one of the five players who are candidates to win. You have Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas -- all the players who won a major tournament on this surface this year.
Best of the rest: Zverev and Rublev among dark horses for French Open
Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won the last eight French Open titles but with the ageing Grand Slam champions nowhere near their best this year a new champion could be crowned.