'Sascha is seeded and Rafa isn’t even in the top 100,' Mischa backs brother Alexander Zverev to defeat Rafael Nadal at French Open

Sascha is seeded and Rafa isn't even in the top 100, which hasn't been the case for more than 20 years. Everyone is asking me: Mischa, how will it turn out? What do you think? I've always said that Sascha could and should have won it back then. And he will win it this time too because Rafa has become a bit slower and his fitness is no longer the same. Mischa Zverev told Eurosport

Mischa thinks the World No.4 would have eked out a stunning victory in their last encounter in the 2022 Roland Garros semifinal if he hadn’t injured his right ankle, giving the walkover to Nadal, who went on to win his 14th Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title by beating Casper Ruud in the final. 

Nadal’s career has been marred by injuries but he still amused the tennis fraternity by winning 22 Grand Slam titles, second only to World No.1 Novak Djokovic who has 24 titles. Also, for the first time in over 20 years, Nadal found himself outside the top 100, currently standing at 276 in the ATP Rankings. 

Alexander Zverev has faced Rafael Nadal 10 times in his career

Alexander Zverev has not played in the final at Roland Garros since turning pro in 2013. However, this time, he is considered one of the favorites in Paris, as top players like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner are dealing with fitness and form issues. Zverev has faced Nadal 10 times, winning just three of those matches, including one on clay. 

Before this season, it was tough for any player to beat Nadal who has an amazing 112-3 record in the French capital. The King of Clay won four consecutive French Open titles from 2005 to 2008, then from 2010 to 2014. 

After losing to Djokovic in the 2015 French Open quarterfinals and withdrawing from the 2016 edition due to a wrist injury after reaching the third round, Nadal won back-to-back titles again from 2017 to 2020, last winning in 2022.