Ahead of the French Open, Alexander Zverev showed why he is one of the contenders to win the title in Paris. The German star recently won the Italian Open and displayed his absolute best at the tournament. Despite his return to form, many in the tennis circle feel that Zverev has no chance to put his hands on the French Open trophy, not because of on-court reasons, but off-court ones.

Zverev will be facing a trial for domestic abuse charges while the French Open will be underway. His hearing starts on the last day of this month and although he won’t be attending it, this might prove to be a distraction for him. He is slated to play his second-round match a day before his trial starts and his third-round match on 1st June.

As a result, renowned journalist, Chris Clarey, feels that Zverev might not be winning the title in Paris. During the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, he revealed, “You also got the situation with all the off-court stuff that possibly might affect things. It’s really interesting, to be honest, half of the people or more than half of the people I speak to about it don’t want him to win.”

Further, he went on to add, “No way you should pick anybody without a fair process, it’s just that there is a sense that there is a lot of smoke around him and has to be a flyer. Hopefully, he can resolve all this and satisfy all the questions.”

This is not the only thing that might affect Zverev’s chances at the tournament. He has received one of the most difficult draws of his career and even received a warning from American tennis legend, Sam Querrey.

Sam Querrey to Alexander Zverev ahead of Rafael Nadal clash: ‘You’re intimidated’

Alexander Zverev, who is seeded 4th in the French Open, is slated to play the tournament’s most successful player, Rafael Nadal. Although the Spaniard is out of touch, one can only write him off at Roland Garros at their own peril. Further, in what could be his final appearance here, Nadal is set to give his all and might prove to be a thorn in Zverev’s path.

Thus, Sam Querrey warned Zverev during a podcast and said, “Right from the get-go, you’ve seen it, when you’re flipping the coin, and you’re up at the net with the referee, he’s bouncing up and down. He’s looking at you.”

Further, he mentioned, “You’re intimidated, right off the bat. You know that when you’re up 40 Love, he’s gonna make you earn that next point to win the game. And you’re gonna go out there, and you’re gonna battle for three, four or five hours.“

It would be a thrilling first-round matchup here in Paris. Their clash is slated to take place on Sunday, 26th May. Who are you putting your bets on to win this contest? Let us know your views in the comments below.