Alexander Zverev was amazed to watch and gauge Rafael Nadal's level from close quarters during his practice session at the 2022 Roland Garros.
The road to the final is far from straightforward for the 13-time French Open champion. After a first-round match against Australia's Jordan Thompson, who is not famous for his clay-court expertise, Nadal could face his first litmus in the second round against former winner Stan Wawrinka.
There is a potential fourth-rounder against the talented and powerful Felix Auger-Aliassime, while his old nemesis, Novak Djokovic, is the likeliest quarterfinal opponent. Nadal will seek revenge after losing to the Serb 12 months ago.
His form has overwhelmingly been uninspiring in the build-up to the tournament. He failed to win a single clay-court tournament before Roland Garros this year and was beaten in the round of 16 of the Italian Open by Denis Shapovalov, where his documented foot injury resurfaced.
But if there is a tournament and a court that extracts the best out of Nadal, it is the clay major and the Court Philippe-Chatrier. Zverev, who had the privilege to watch and evaluate Nadal's level during a practice session, believes the Spaniard is a completely different beast.
"I think Rafa at this place here, I just watched him practice and it's funny. Because me, my dad and Sergi Bruguera we watched him practice and all of a sudden, his forehand is 20 mph faster, he mover lighter on his feet. There's something about this court that makes him play 30% better."
Zverev could potentially meet Nadal in the semifinal and the German has been in stellar form this year, and especially on clay. He has made the semifinals or better in all three of the Masters 1000 on clay, finishing as a runner-up in Madrid. Nadal will aim to win the Australian Open-Roland Garros double for the first time in his career.