Alexander Zverev is currently being viewed as a strong contender for the ongoing French Open. The German established himself as a dominant figure with his massive run for the Italian Open title. Looking at his path to the clay court major, the tennis star is set to face Rafael Nadal in the opening match. While the King of Clay seems to be away from his throne considering the recent setbacks, the German’s brother confidently declared him a clear favorite.

Mischa Zverev shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated first-round match between his brother, Alexander Zverev, and Rafael Nadal at the Roland Garros in a recent interview. Taking their previous encounter at the French Open into consideration, Mischa recalled, “Zverev against Nadal in the first round. How did that go a few years ago? It was a three-hour game that ended without a match point because Zverev was injured and couldn’t move on. After that, he was out for seven months and Nadal won his last Roland Garros.”

Every tennis fan has to accept that this year, the stakes are different. The German stands on a recent victory at the Italian Open, whereas the Spaniard struggled to even secure a notable position in the past tournaments. Mischa confidently stated, “Now they play against each other in the first round, but a lot has changed. Zverev has been placed and Nadal is not even in the top 100, which is the case for the first time in more than 20 years.”

Mischa believes that this time around, his brother has a strong chance of winning. He added, “Everyone asks me how I think it turns out and I always keep saying that Zverev could and should have won at the time. This time he’s also going to win, because Nadal has become slower and leaves his fitness to be desired.”

In their last match at the Roland Garros 2022, Zverev faced a disappointing defeat. While the German had a great opportunity to make it to the finals, the King of Clay showed his absolute levels to end his run, which surely won’t be the case according to his recent matches. Mischa, who seemed to carry confidence about his brother’s odds of entering the tournament, also showed concerns about Rafa’s last few moments on the tour.

No matter what, Alexander Zverev’s brother will miss Rafa

Is there anyone who won’t? Despite being optimistic about Alexander Zverev’s chances to secure a notable position at the French Open, Mischa Zverev also affirmed that it won’t be easy to not have Rafael Nadal as a part of the ATP Tour. The Spaniard, who has a massive 14-time win record at Roland Garros in his glorious career, has announced that this would be his last season as a professional player.

Mischa, in the same interview, acknowledged the emotional weight of the match, considering it might be Nadal’s last appearance at Roland Garros. “Despite this, it will be a tough game, perhaps not physically, but emotionally because it can be Nadal’s last game at Roland Garros. The audience can’t choose whether they want to see a good game or simply Nadal again on the Philippe-Chatrier.”

As the winner is yet to be unveiled, all eyes will be on this crucial match, with Alexander Zverev standing with a golden opportunity to complete his revenge against the Spaniard at the French Open.