Alexander Zverev recently opened up about his belief that he could have won against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 Roland Garros semi-finals
The young German had one of the biggest chances in his career to win a Grand Slam title, certainly the biggest since losing the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem. But Zverev injured himself in the match and was forced to retire.
Nadal then went on to clinch the title by defeating Casper Ruud in a straight-sets victory, 6-3 6-3 6-0. This win added another Grand Slam to his already impressive collection, but it also left fans and Zverev himself pondering what could have been.
When questioned about his chances in the semi-final in an interview with Eurosport, Zverev humbly acknowledged Nadal's unparalleled qualities on clay but confessed he had faith in his own abilities.
"For some reason I did. I don't want to sound arrogant. 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."
"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."
Zverev went on to explain how injuries affected different players, pointing out the seemingly superhuman ability of Nadal and Federer to bounce back from injuries and immediately start winning tournaments.
"Rafa and Roger [Federer] are different. They come back from injury and they start winning tournaments immediately. I don't know how they do that. But they've been doing it for 20 years now."
Despite their extraordinary accomplishments, Zverev urged caution in comparing their recovery process to his own, as his two-month-long inability to walk required a significant amount of time to relearn basic movements and regain his former strength.
"I needed time but I think also my injury was maybe a little bit different. I was not able to walk really for two months. You have to learn your movements again, you have to learn how to walk again, you have to learn how to run again."
"These are all factors that may play a little bit of a part in tennis. But you can't compare Rafa to me because Rafa comes back and starts winning and not only winning against everyone but beating them 6-0 6-1 6-2."
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