What happened the last time Rafael Nadal & Alexander Zverev met at the French Open? All you need to know

Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev have set up a mouthwatering clash in the first round of the 2024 French Open. While Zverev is seeded fourth in the draw, the Spaniard used his protected ranking to enter the tournament. This will be the 11th meeting between the two men but where did the German face the Spaniard the last time they met?

Coincidentally, the most recent match between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev came at the French Open, where the duo squared off in the semifinals in 2022. Both men came into the Paris major without having lifted a single trophy at that year's clay court swing; however, fireworks ensued from the get-go.

The German started off by breaking Nadal in the opening game of the match but the Spaniard broke back in the eighth game to even the score 4-4. The set went into a tiebreaker where the 14-time Roland Garros winner found himself 2-6 down. However, in remarkable fashion, he clinched the set 10-8 after an hour and 31 minutes of power-hitting tennis but needed three set-points to do so.

The brutal tennis continued in the second set and it was the 37-year-old who got the early break this time in the third game but Zverev broke the Spaniard immediately, twice in a row to get a lead. But Nadal broke back again and evened the odds, bringing the score to 3-4 on his serve.

An unfortunate event occurred during the 12th game of the match when Zverev hit a forehand return to Nadal's shot but slipped and tore his ankle ligaments.

The German was immediately taken off the court to get treatment but he came out in crutches, After making it clear that he was not going to be able to continue, the former World No. 2 waved the crowd goodbye, bringing an anti-climatic end to the match after three hours and three minutes, at 7-6(8), 6-6.

The Spaniard went through to the final and defeated Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires for a record-extending 14th time.

"I don't want to sound arrogant" - What Alexander Zverev said about his chances against Rafael Nadal in their French Open SF afterwards

Alexander Zverev bids the crowd adieu

When asked later whether he felt that he could have defeated Rafael Nadal had he been able to continue, Alexander Zverev said that he thought he had a chance. Though he admitted that the Spaniard is the greatest player to play on clay, Zverev believed that the match could have gone either way.

"For some reason I did. I don't want to sound arrogant," he said to Eurosport.

"Rafa is obviously the best player to ever play on that surface so you never know what happens. You never know what happens in that match as well. If I don't get injured, of course I [could have lost] that match. Of course, he can go on to win his 14th Grand Slam."

The German said that he was playing his best tennis, so he gave himself a shot. He mentioned how the outcomes of matches depend on little factors but also admitted that he felt that the tournament was his moment.

"But I felt like I was playing my best tennis that I've ever played on that surface. So for some reason, I did feel like I could at least compete with him, which I was doing.

"The outcome of the match obviously, always depends on little factors as well. But I did feel like that could have been the week for me."

Rafael Nadal leads the head-to-head against Alexander Zverev 7-3 and is up 5-1 on clay coming into their Roland Garros 2024 battle.