Alexander Zverev opens up about his Roland Garros nightmare against Rafael Nadal: ‘I was one match away from being number one’
Alexander
Zverev gives his verdict on the most difficult moment of his career. The World
No. 2 has come close to winning a major, with six semifinal appearances and two
finals, but the elusive Grand Slam title remains out of reach.
Zverev’s
record is impressive, considering he has competed during the era of the Big-3.
The German has 23 titles to his name, including two ATP Finals, the Olympic
gold medal from Tokyo 2020, and seven Masters 1000 titles (in addition to
reaching four other finals in this category).
However, he
has yet to claim a major title, falling short in the finals of the 2020 US Open
against Dominic Thiem—despite holding match points—and the 2024 French Open
against Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev relives the agony of his 2022 French Open semifinal exit
The
27-year-old recently reflected on the most challenging moment of his career
during an interview with HEAD Tennis’ YouTube channel. Surprisingly, it wasn’t
either of his Grand Slam finals.
“In my
opinion, 2022 obviously at the French Open was the toughest moment of my
career,” Zverev shared. “I was one match away from being world number one and
playing probably the best tennis of my life against the greatest clay court
player to ever live, Rafael Nadal.”
Zverev
faced Nadal in the 2022 French Open semifinals, and the pair were locked in an
epic battle through the first two sets. Nadal showcased his prowess by taking
the first set 7-6 after over 90 minutes. The second set also headed to a
tiebreak, but the match took a tragic turn when Zverev twisted his ankle during
a rally, leaving the court on crutches.
The match
lasted over three hours without completing the second set, with Zverev
delivering an extraordinary performance that threatened Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros. Soon after, it was revealed that Zverev had fractured his ankle,
sidelining him for the rest of the season.
“It was a
tough moment for me because, you know, even if I lose the match—I mean, it’s
Nadal, anything can happen. You can lose at the French Open to him; everybody
has lost to him before,” Zverev explained.
“But
knowing in the back of my mind that I needed to win one match within three
months to become world number one, that was difficult for me. And obviously,
being in a cast and not being able to not only play but just simply to walk and
do daily things, that was tough.”