Alexander Zverev opens up about his Roland Garros nightmare against Rafael Nadal: “I was one match away from being number one”

Alexander Zverev gives his verdict on the most difficult moment of his career. The World No. 2 has come close to winning a major, with six semifinal appearances and two finals, but the elusive Grand Slam title remains out of reach.

Zverev’s record is impressive, considering he has competed during the era of the Big-3. The German has 23 titles to his name, including two ATP Finals, the Olympic gold medal from Tokyo 2020, and seven Masters 1000 titles (in addition to reaching four other finals in this category).

However, he has yet to claim a major title, falling short in the finals of the 2020 US Open against Dominic Thiem—despite holding match points—and the 2024 French Open against Carlos Alcaraz.

Zverev relives the agony of his 2022 French Open semifinal exit

The 27-year-old recently reflected on the most challenging moment of his career during an interview with HEAD Tennis’ YouTube channel. Surprisingly, it wasn’t either of his Grand Slam finals.

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“In my opinion, 2022 obviously at the French Open was the toughest moment of my career,” Zverev shared. “I was one match away from being world number one and playing probably the best tennis of my life against the greatest clay court player to ever live, Rafael Nadal.”

Zverev faced Nadal in the 2022 French Open semifinals, and the pair were locked in an epic battle through the first two sets. Nadal showcased his prowess by taking the first set 7-6 after over 90 minutes. The second set also headed to a tiebreak, but the match took a tragic turn when Zverev twisted his ankle during a rally, leaving the court on crutches.

The match lasted over three hours without completing the second set, with Zverev delivering an extraordinary performance that threatened Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros. Soon after, it was revealed that Zverev had fractured his ankle, sidelining him for the rest of the season.

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“It was a tough moment for me because, you know, even if I lose the match—I mean, it’s Nadal, anything can happen. You can lose at the French Open to him; everybody has lost to him before,” Zverev explained.

“But knowing in the back of my mind that I needed to win one match within three months to become world number one, that was difficult for me. And obviously, being in a cast and not being able to not only play but just simply to walk and do daily things, that was tough.”