Hello and welcome to coverage from the French Open in what could be Rafael Nadal’s final match at Roland Garros.
The 14-time champion begins his campaign against Alexander Zverev, which is the standout match in the first round.
“It’s not ideal the first match, because I feel competitive to have this match later in the tournament, but it’s how it is,” Nadal said.
“I need to be ready since the beginning. Let’s see.”
The meeting will bring back contrasting memories for both players of the last time they met, in a French Open semi-final in 2022, when Nadal went on to win yet another title in Paris, the last of his 22 Grand Slam victories.
Zverev was forced to retire from that match with an ankle injury. He underwent surgery and ended up missing the rest of the season with another injury, but he returned last year to reach his third consecutive French Open semi-final.
With some of the other top players such as Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, struggling with injuries of late, this could be Zverev’s chance to finally win a Grand Slam.
The German might not have wanted to meet Nadal so early in the tournament but he was happy to have the chance to take him on again.
“I really wanted to play him here. I did not want to play him in the first round. I wanted to play him in the semi-finals, finals, a later stage of the tournament,” Zverev said.
“But at the end of the day, he’s not seeded, it is how it is, and I think we’re both prepared for a tough battle.”
Any plans to pay tribute to Nadal if he loses have been scuppered because he has said this might not necessarily be his final appearance at the tournament.
“As you can imagine, we had something planned for him. But … because he doesn’t know if it’s going to be his last Roland Garros or not, he wants to leave the door open maybe to come back next year as a player. So we are not going to push him, obviously, to do anything,” Mauresmo said.
“It’s his decision when he wants to have a proper ceremony, a proper goodbye, a proper farewell. So we’re not going to do it this year. That’s his wish,” she continued. “And even though we were ready to push the button if something happens, we obviously are going to respect what he wants and make sure we are ready whenever he feels he wants to do it. Later this year; next year; anytime he wants.”
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