Toni Nadal analyzed the Roland Garros final between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, concluding that the German's inability to win a Grand Slam final is due to struggling under pressure.
Zverev contested two Grand Slam finals in his career and lost both. He could have won both because the first time around, he held a 2-0 lead in sets before losing 2-3, and the second time around, he held a 2-1 lead before losing in five sets as well.
The second loss happened recently in Paris, as the German was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Toni Nadal analyzed that final in his column for El Pais. The Spaniard knows both players really well, having watched them play for a long time, and he laid out why Zverev struggles in the big moments.
To the experienced Spanish coach and uncle of Rafael Nadal, it mostly comes down to pressure because, according to him, when the pressure is highest, Zverev fails to perform as he should.
"On the second point of the first game of the fourth set, after the great comeback in the previous set and after taking a 0-15 lead, Alexander made a trivial mistake and turned angrily to his corner to complain. A quarter of an hour later, in the blink of an eye, Alcaraz was already 4-0 ahead in this important set."
Pointing out a specific situation, Nadal thinks that it is an issue that could be applied to many moments in the German's career. On the other hand, 'uncle Toni' also praised Alcaraz's ability to stay calm when it mattered.
"If Zverev has not managed to win a Grand Slam tournament so far, it is certainly because he has never managed to control this type of situation like at the start of the fourth set against Alcaraz."
"Carlos faced him in the fourth set after a hard-fought comeback without losing his calm, conviction and confidence in victory. Something that only great champions can achieve. I offer my most sincere compliments to Alcaraz."
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