Status: 23.05.2024 15:39
Alexander Zverev had an absolute cracker in the first round of the French Open: The Olympic tennis champion from Hamburg will face the unseeded record champion Rafael Nadal in the first round in Paris. Angelique Kerber from Kiel has also been given a difficult task.
This was the result of the draw for the second Grand Slam tournament of the year on Thursday in Paris. Three-time Olympic athletics champion Marie-Jose Perec drew the tennis blockbuster from the Coupe de Mousquetaires.
Zverev was injured in the most recent duel against Nadal in Paris
Zverev is number four on the seed list at Roland Garros. He recently won the ATP tournament in Rome for the second time in his career. The 14-time title holder Nadal is not among the seeds after numerous injuries.
The last time the 27-year-old Zverev and the ten-year-older Spaniard faced each other was in the semifinals in 2022. At that time, Zverev seriously injured his ankle and had to give up. Nadal subsequently won the title.
For Nadal it is probably the last French Open
The Spaniard is expected to compete at the French Open for the last time this year. In Paris, the 22-time Grand Slam champion pushed the boundaries; here he has only lost three matches and has 112 wins. He reached the final 14 times, won 14 times and never had to go beyond five sets.
However, a start this year was unclear for a long time due to numerous injuries. Nadal, who is currently ranked 276th in the world and is not seeded in Paris this time due to his many injuries, has so far achieved a round of 16 at the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid as his best clay court result this year.
“Rafa will play much better than in Madrid or Rome, I’m sure.”
Alexander Zverev on Rafael Nadal
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.
Further information
Alexander “Sascha” Zverev is Germany’s best tennis player. The career of the Olympic champion from Hamburg in pictures. Picture gallery
Zverev goes into the match as the favorite – and could be the one to end the Mallorcan’s unique French Open story. From the perspective of national coach Michael Kohlmann, Zverev goes into the highly exciting first-round duel with advantages.
“It feels a bit strange not to call him the favorite in Paris, but I would still say that Sascha is the slight favorite in the match,” said Kohlmann. “That’s obviously a real blow. I don’t think anyone in the field really wanted Rafael Nadal in the first round. That’s obviously a blow.”
Zverev is warned: “Rafa will play much better than in Madrid or Rome, I’m sure,” the Hamburg native said after his triumph at the Foro Italico. This week both Nadal and Zverev trained at the Roland Garros facility.
Zverev and Nadal train at Roland Garros
Alexander Zverev
Last year, Nadal missed his favorite tournament after hip surgery. Zverev played well in Paris on his comeback tour in 2023 and was only defeated by Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semifinals.
“I have to concentrate on myself to find my rhythm like I used to in Paris. Then I have everything in my racket.”
Even if the 27-year-old were to beat the Spaniard, the road to the longed-for first Grand Slam title would be a rocky one. Top talent Holger Rune (Denmark) could be waiting in the round of 16, and Zverev’s arch-rival Daniil Medvedev (Russia) in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Perec gave him a possible duel with Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic (Serbia).
Kerber in round one against Dutch Rus
For the women, Angelique Kerber also had an unpleasant draw. After a first-round duel with the Dutch Arantxa Rus, the Kiel native could face 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 draw after Jule Niemeier successfully completed the qualification on Thursday. Eva Lys from Hamburg can also follow her on Friday.
Further information
The crowning moment of her career came in 2016 when she jumped to number one in the world rankings and won Wimbledon two years later. Image gallery
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Sports news | 23.05.2024 | 15:17
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2024-05-23 13:39:00
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