Zverev Finishes Nadal At Roland Garros

“The King of Clay” will always be the King but his reign of dominance ended today on court Philippe Chatrier 63 76 63 at the hands of Alexander Zverev.

Facing a desperate hero tenaciously and viciously fighting for career survival, Zverev was the picture of perfect calm, like a hired assassin who never lost his nerve or cool.

The fourteen time French Open champion with a 112-4 match record at the tournament over the last two decades showed many flashes of his genius through the match. Most impressive were his volleys which are the best in the ATP. The rest of Nadal’s arsenal is declined due to a slight loss in footspeed and mobility. Nadal also bailed out of two long rallies in the second set tiebreaker with ill-fated drop shots that Zverev ruthlessly capitalized on. The trademark Nadal fighting spirit is still there to the maximum but the confidence and skillset are not.

With Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, David Ferrer and Iga Swiatek in the crowd watching and paying respect, the duel had a slight feel that Zverev held back his A plus game out of respect for the legend and every time Nadal willed his way to threaten the 27 year old German in each of the three sets, he suddenly was thwarted by an electrifying level the Spanish dynamo can no longer compete with.

Some may have felt Zverev carried Nadal out of respect so as not to humiliate or embarrass the second greatest player the sport has ever produced. From the first ball to the last and even after the match, Zverev was pure total class. It makes you wonder why the tennis establishment or deep state has been so anti Zverev for the last five years?

Nadal’s final shot was a first forehand long and wide after a first serve. Zverev made no celebration, shook hands with his rival and then stayed on court to give Nadal a standing ovation after his brief interview decline.

“To be honest I don’t know what to say. First of all, thank you Rafa from all of the tennis world. It’s such a great honor,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “I’ve watched Rafa play all my childhood and I was lucky enough to play Rafa when I became a professional. I was lucky enough to play him two times on this beautiful court. I don’t know what to say. Today is not my moment, it’s Rafa’s moment, so thank you.”

Nadal packed his bags, head down, as the stadium crowd wonder if he may announce his retirement. After some brief words with tournament director Amelie Mauresmo behind his chair, Nadal addressed the crowd.

“It’s difficult for me to talk. I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time that I’m going to be here in front of all of you, honestly,” Nadal said. “I am not a hundred per cent sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it. The crowd has been amazing during the whole week of preparation and the feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words. But for me it’s so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt in the place that I love the most.”

Nadal added that he aspired to play the Olympics in Paris on the same court later this summer. But the overall sense was this was the end of a historic sporting career. Though he can still compete at the highest level, Rafael Nadal is no longer Rafael Nadal and there’s no reason to carry on enduring losses like this and to struggle against adversaries he used to dominate.

Nadal leads the head to head vs Zverev 7-4 and he won their last meeting on the same court two years ago 76 66 when Zverev fell and severely sprained his ankle which he needed surgery for. Their first ever meeting was in 2016 in Indian Wells where Zverev missed a forehand volley on match point and then lost 76 06 57.

Today’s loss was the first time Nadal ever lost in the first round at French Open. But what happened today can never erase the fourteen years of superhuman tennis heroics this left-handed marvel from Mallorca managed to create and execute over and over an over again.

Alexander Zverev · Babolat · French Open · Nike · Rafael Nadal · Roland Garros

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