Rafael Nadal earned his 14th French Open final appearance in unfortunate fashion Friday after Germany’s Alexander Zverev suffered a devastating ankle injury in the second set.
An ill-timed slip during the second set sent Zverev to the ground in substantial pain, prematurely ending their semi-final clash at Roland Garros. A concerned Nadal looked on and even attempted to assist his fallen opponent as Zverev’s trainer tended to the injury.
During his interview with NBC Sports after the match, Nadal, still visibly disappointed in the sudden turn of events, offered a classy message to Zverev.
“Very tough and very sad for him, honestly,” Nadal said. “He was playing [an] unbelievable tournament. He’s a very good colleague on the tour, I know how much he’s fighting to win a Grand Slam but, for the moment, he was very unlucky.
“The only thing that I am sure [of] is he [is] gonna win not one, much more than one. So, I wish him all the very best and very fast recovery.”
Zverev’s injury halted what was shaping up to be a competitive match between the two. At the time of the stoppage, Nadal led the game, 40–30, with Zverev leading the set, 6–5.
Although he was unable to notch his biggest win to-date, Zverev’s time at the French Open was certainly not in vain. The 25-year-old defeated rising star Carlos Alcaraz in the quartefinal to earn his first top 10 victory in a major in 11 tries.
Meanwhile, Nadal, one of the best players in the history of the sport, will continue his quest for No. 14 on Sunday. The 13-time French Open champion will take on the winner of the men’s singles final between Casper Ruud and Marin Čilić.
