Alexander Zverev left Court Philippe-Chatrier in 2022 on crutches, after seriously injuring his ankle during his semi-final against Rafael Nadal.
Two years later, the two men found themselves in the same tournament, but this time in the first round.
For the first (and last) time in his career, the Spaniard left his garden as soon as he entered the competition, beaten in three short sets by the German.
A revenge for Zverev who was then impressive to reach the Porte d’Auteuil final for the first time in his career, before losing to Alcaraz.
In the A BIS Z podcast, the world number 2 looked back on what struck him the most during this explosive first round against Nadal.
“What was impressive was when the announcer started to recap all the years he had won the title. 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, etc.
Everyone in the audience was getting louder as it went on. I told myself that this is something I probably won’t experience again on a tennis court for the rest of my career.
The atmosphere in the stands was even better than during the 2022 semi-final, it was just crazy.
Playing against Rafa was probably my most special match this year. It’s a moment that will remain etched in my memory forever. »
