Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev mania grips Pam Shriver as she discloses extra efforts taken by her to watch the French Open 1R thriller

Former American tennis player Pam Shriver is going to great lengths to ensure that she doesn’t miss Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev’s upcoming 2024 French Open blockbuster. In an unlikely occurrence, the two are set to face each other in the first round of the tournament.

Nadal has been on the sidelines due to injuries for the most part in the last 17 months and is ranked World No. 275 as a result. The Spaniard is unseeded at the claycourt Slam, having entered through protected ranking, which has thus led to him drawing fourth seed Alexander Zverev as his first opponent.

Tennis fans eager to watch French Open’s most successful champion in action, in what could be his final appearance, would thus hope for a miracle as he takes on an in-form Zverev, who is one of the top four contenders for the title.

The highly-anticipated match is scheduled for a day session on Monday, May 27, and will take place not before 2:30 p.m. local time. This means that the match will be broadcast in the early hours in the United States.

Pam Shriver recently took to social media to reveal that she’s set an alarm for 6:00 a.m. to tune in for the clash, to be repeated "never." The American coach, who is part of Croatian tennis player Donna Vekic’s team, joked that this is one of the rare times she’s going to such lengths for a first-round match that doesn’t involve her player.

"Not many times does a tennis match, that I am not playing, coaching, or broadcasting, get my attention as much as this one on day two," she said on X.

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"I'm going to play peak Rafael Nadal" - What Alexander Zverev said about his upcoming French Open match against Spaniard

Rafael Nadal (L) and Alexander Zverev pictured at the 2022 French Open (Image Source: Getty)

Rafael Nadal drawing Alexander Zverev in his opening match at the 2024 French Open bears great significance considering how the pair’s previous fixture played out at the same event two years ago.

Nadal and Zverev last faced each other in the semifinals of the 2022 French Open. The rivals were locked in an intense battle with grueling rallies, but the match came to an abrupt halt after three hours and 13 minutes of play just before the conclusion of the second set, when the German rolled his ankle after a nasty fall.

Rafael Nadal won the match through retirement, leading 7-6 (8), 6-6 (Ret). Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev had to undergo surgery and was forced to the sidelines for six months.

About his upcoming match, the Spaniard said:

"At some point somebody told me the draw. I mean, the reaction is something that I expected in some way. When you’re not seeded, anything can happen. That’s part of the business," he said in his pre-tournament press conference.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev, who recently won his second title at the Rome Masters, maintained a cautious approach, noting the 14-time French Open champion’s history on the court.

"I'm going to play peak Rafael Nadal and that's what I expect him to be. I expect him to be at his absolute best. I expect him to play the best tennis that he's played in a long time on this court," he said in his press conference.