Alcaraz, Zverev expect 'tough battle' for Roland Garros glory

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev have made a habit of meeting on the game’s biggest stages, but never has more been on the line than in Sunday’s Roland Garros final. The pair has contested nine previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, with each of the past seven at either a Grand Slam, an ATP Masters 1000 or the Nitto ATP Finals.

The fourth-seeded Zverev is the underdog in the Paris final, but he leads the series 5-4, including recent wins last season in Turin and this year at the Australian Open. Alcaraz has won two of their three clay meetings, winning twice in Madrid but losing in the 2022 Roland Garros quarter-finals.

“We had very tough battles in the past,” Zverev said of the third-seeded Spaniard. “It’s going to be a difficult match. It is a Grand Slam final. If you’re in a Grand Slam final, you deserve to be there. That goes for both of us. I think both of is are expecting a tough battle.”

While both players will be competing in their first Roland Garros title match, both can draw upon a wealth of big-match experience. Alcaraz is 2-0 in major finals (2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon) and 5-1 in ATP Masters 1000 finals. Zverev, an Olympic gold medalist, is 2-0 in title matches at the Nitto ATP Finals (2018, 2021) and 6-5 in finals at the Masters 1000s — including a triumph in Rome last month.

“Sascha, he’s playing great tennis on clay,” Alcaraz said before the German’s four-set semi-final victory against Casper Ruud. “Big serve, big shots, really solid. It’s going to be a really interesting final.”

Zverev’s run to the final included an escape from a double break down in the fifth set against 26th seed Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, a comeback from two sets to one down against 13th seed Holger Rune in the fourth round and a fightback from one set down against two-time finalist Ruud in Friday’s semis. Alcaraz cruised into the semis with the loss of just one set, but twice battled back from a set down against Jannik Sinner in a five-set win on Friday.

“It was a really close match,” said the Spaniard, who overcame cramp against the incoming World No. 1. “I think [it was] a really high level of tennis, really high intensity of everything.”

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The victory showcased Alcaraz’s growth since physical issues derailed him in last season’s Roland Garros semi-finals against Novak Djokovic: “I’m stronger mentally. I knew how to deal with these situations,” he said of his effort against Sinner.

Zverev also overcame previous semi-final disappointment to reach the championship match. He had reached the last four in each of the past three years at Roland Garros, but suffered deflating losses on each occasion. In 2021, he fell in five sets to Stefanos Tsitsipas. In 2022, he suffered a gruesome ankle injury after pushing Rafael Nadal to the limit for two sets. Last year, he exited after losing a 6-0 third set to Ruud.

The 2022 injury, as well as his 2020 US Open final defeat — in which he could not cash in on a dominant start and a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem — stick out in the German’s mind.

“There was one of two ways to come back from two situations. The first was the 2020 final of the US Open and obviously the injury that I had two years ago,” he said. “You either come back stronger and you come back hungrier, you come back wanting to win more, which I feel like I did in 2021… Or you kind of go into yourself. You drop mentally a bit, as well. I’m happy that I was the sort of person that took the first path.”

Now with another chance at Grand Slam glory, Zverev will hope to ride his stellar serving and his rock-solid backhand to the title. After grinding out wins in slow conditions early in the tournament, Zverev won 86 per cent of his first-serve points in the semis, according to Infosys Stats. He hit 19 aces and faced just three break points across four sets.

While Alcaraz’s serve is not as lethal at the German’s, the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings has improved his delivery throughout his young career. The kick serve that was so effective against Sinner may inflict less damage on the 6-foot-6 Zverev, but Alcaraz may be more comfortable in the rallies against the German. In particular, Alcaraz’s heavy forehand, which has been jumping in the hotter Paris conditions, could pose problems when directed cross-court at Zverev’s forehand — a bellwether shot for the 27-year-old that has come and gone this fortnight.

Zverev has shown great patience all tournament, both within individual points and in marathon matches. Alcaraz has also displayed good shot tolerance, but has been more eager to attack early in rallies.

The youngest man to reach a Grand Slam final on all three surfaces at 21, the well-rounded Alcaraz will rely on his famous formula — brains, heart and courage — in a bid to join Spanish legends like Rafael Nadal and coach Juan Carlos Ferrero on the list of Roland Garros champions. Zverev is bidding to become the first German man to win the Paris crown in the Open Era.

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