French Open: Alexander Zverev’s solid backhand and power can nullify Rafa Nadal’s topspin-laden lefty forehand | Tennis News

And so it may not be. What had been billed for months as the grand farewell, for the grandest of relationships between an athlete and his favourite hunting ground, may not be a farewell after all. Rafael Nadal could return to Roland Garros after this year – “maybe, maybe not.”Ahead of the start of this year’s French Open, Nadal bounced into his pre-tournament press conference, smirking and chirping at questions about his future – a far cry from his bleak outlook from a month ago – and left things tantalisingly ambiguous.
“If I have to tell you it’s 100% my last Roland Garros, sorry but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on. I hope you understand,” he was quoted as saying Reuters. “I don’t want to close 100% the door… Maybe in one month and a half I’ll say ‘OK, it’s enough, I can’t keep going’. But today I cannot guarantee that it’s going to be the last one.”

Order of play for day 2, what a day ⚡️
Check out the full order of play 👉https://t.co/s4MlOWqt8t#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/fYXsGy9K4L
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2024
Nadal, the 14-time champion who has always played this tournament as a top-five seed, was left to the mercy of the draw as an unseeded player this time around and was dealt a brutal first-round assignment against fourth seed and recent Italian Open champion Alexander Zverev, which takes place on Monday.
Upbeat and playing “without limitation” for the first time in a year and a half, Nadal was not quick to complain about his upcoming opponent either. “I’m enjoying what I’m doing again. Sorry, but I am feeling competitive in practices. Maybe not yet in matches, but in the practices, I am able to play almost against anyone. It’s giving me some hope,” he said.
Scraps of hope is what Nadal must live on to be competitive after just 15 professional matches since the start of 2023 and a ranking of World No.275 as he has nursed adnominal and hip injuries.
A month ago, Nadal arrived in Madrid struggling for fitness and rhythm, claiming he will not be able to play the French Open in the form and shape he was in at the time. That week, though, he was able to stitch together a few wins and leave with a positive mindset. Even though he ran into reality in Rome a week later, suffering a dire loss to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, the rhythm seems to have returned, and an unusually confident persona has emerged.
Even then it will be a tall order for him to take on the in-form Zverev, who may be mounting a title challenge himself — even while his domestic abuse trial kicks off in Berlin during this tournament.
In terms of matchups, this is not a favourable one for Nadal either. Zverev’s tall frame, power, and solid backhand nullify, to an extent, the Spaniard’s greatest strength – his high-bouncing, topspin-laden lefty forehand which he uses to target a right-handed opponent’s backhand. Given his recent injuries, Nadal has not been able to find much purchase on his serve either, which will not allow him to squeeze his way out of trouble under pressure.
Effective returner
Yet, Nadal’s body of work on this ground makes it impossible to see this encounter as a foregone conclusion. If the Spaniard can construct points using his heavy forehand, and unleash it down the line with depth and accuracy, Zverev may find it difficult to cope. Nadal is also an effective returner, and while Zverev has a huge first serve, he has a notoriously poor record on his second serve.
The German has also, over the years, shown a capacity to collapse – having lost a Major final from two sets and a break up, and as recently as this year’s Australian Open, lost a semifinal from the same position. Miniscule chances may open up for Nadal to take control if the pressure of a hugely partisan crowd gets to Zverev and he begins to blink.

This match – a realic title contender taking on a 14-time champion in the first round – remains a rarity and is likely to be a blockbuster showdown for its larger significance. Despite all the narrative-rich subtext, Nadal will have to search for the kind of form and fight that he has not found in the last two years. The last time he did, after a fortnight of applying pain-numbing injections to address a chronic foot issue, he limped out of this very arena with the trophy. Expect him to believe, even if that may not be enough.