The Olympic champion against the clay court king: Alexander Zverev meets Rafael Nadal in the first round of the French Open.
This was the result of the draw on Thursday (May 23, 2024) in Paris. Zverev is number four on the seeding list at Roland Garros, the 14-time title holder Nadal is not one of the seeded players after numerous injuries.
Two years ago in the semifinals against each other
Zverev (27) and Nadal (37) last faced each other in the semi-finals two years ago, when Zverev seriously injured his ankle and had to give up. Nadal then won the title. The Spaniard is expected to compete at the French Open for the last time this year.
The best clay court result so far this year for Nadal, who is not seeded in Paris this time due to his many injuries, was the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid.
Kerber against Rus, then Rybakina could wait
At the Masters 1000 event in Rome, the former world number one was defeated in two sets by Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the second round. Zverev won the tournament in the Italian capital and celebrated a perfect dress rehearsal for Paris. The German number one is aiming for his first Grand Slam title in Paris.
For the women, Angelique Kerber also had an unpleasant draw. After a first-round duel with the Dutch Arantxa Rus, Kerber could meet co-favorite Jelena Rybakina from Kazakhstan in her second Grand Slam tournament after the baby break. A total of five German players are currently in the main field after Jule Niemeier successfully qualified on Thursday. Eva Lys can also follow her on Friday.
2024-05-23 13:08:25
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