Zverev: 'In my mind, I'm going to play peak Rafa Nadal'

Embrace the challenge!

That appears to be Alexander Zverev’s outlook as he contemplates a blockbuster first-round Roland Garros showdown with Rafael Nadal.

It’s also an opportunity to settle some unfinished business. When the pair last met two years ago on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the semi-finals, the match was shaping as one of the greatest in tournament history before Zverev suffered a catastrophic ankle that ended the match at 6-all in the second set after more than three hours of pulsating tennis.

“To be very honest, I wanted to play Rafa again in my career, because I didn't want my last memory of me playing against Rafa to be me leaving the court on a wheelchair,” Zverev said Friday in Paris. “Ideally, I would have liked to play him in the later stage of the tournament, but it is how it is now. He is unseeded this year. I am seeded. You know, it's a tough draw, but it's a tough draw for both of us. We'll see how it goes on Monday.”

Fourth-seeded Zverev, who is 28-9 on the season after winning the ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome earlier this month for the second time, thought he was bring pranked when told he would face the 14-time Roland Garros champion in the opening round.

“I was on court with Rublev yesterday on Chatrier practising, and then after the practice was over… my brother told me. I actually thought he's joking in the beginning,” said, who is No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

In an ATPTour.com poll, 72 per cent of fans cite Zverev as the favourite for the clash with Nadal and the fourth favourite (behind Carlos Alcaraz) to win the title. But the German, who trails the Spaniard 3-7 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, said that despite Nadal’s lack of form and matches coming into the tournament, he expects that the Mallorcan will present a daunting challenge to overcome.

“He has been out injured. He hasn't played a lot of tennis. His ranking is where it is… Everybody now is excited for a tough battle and tough first round. I think he's excited and I'm excited for it,” said the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion.

“For me, in my mind, I'm going to play peak Rafa Nadal. That's what I expect him to be. I expect him to be at his absolute best. I expect him to play the best tennis he's played in a long time on this court.

“There's always been discussion. I mean, 2022 I remember he came into Roland Garros not winning Monte-Carlo, not winning Madrid, not winning Rome. He came into this tournament, everybody was like, ‘Oh, he's a big question mark, he's this and that’. He came and dominated the entire tournament.”

Zverev has shown remarkable consistency at Roland Garros. He has reached the second week for six straight years, advancing to the semi-finals the past three years and two quarter-finals in 2018-19. His lone first-round loss in eight appearances came in four sets to Fernando Verdasco in 2017.