Fourteen-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal begins his Roland Garros campaign with a first-round match against fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev on Monday.
The last encounter between Nadal and Zverev was during the 2022 French Open semifinals, ending abruptly due to Zverev’s injury. Now, Zverev returns strong, fresh from winning the Italian Open. Nadal, 37, has been mostly absent from professional tennis since a hip injury at the Australian Open last year. He made a brief comeback in Brisbane but faced another setback, delaying his return until the clay season. With a 5-3 win-loss record on clay, Nadal arrives unseeded, ranked 275th, for his 19th French Open campaign.
If Zverev wins, it would mark only Nadal’s fourth loss in 116 matches at the French Open and his earliest exit ever. Nadal has always reached at least the fourth round in Paris.
Match Details:
Date and Time: Monday, May 27, around 6 PM IST
Broadcast: Sony Sports Network, SonyLiv, JioTV
Head-to-Head:
Played: 10
Nadal: 7
Zverev: 3
Their first meeting was at Indian Wells in 2016, where Nadal won 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5. In their latest match, Nadal led 7-6(8), 6-6 in the 2022 French Open semifinals before Zverev’s injury retirement.
