Rafael Nadal is now in a position to win his 14th French Open title and his 22nd Grand Slam title, but that's not how he wanted to get there.
The Spanish legend advanced to the Roland Garros final on Sunday after Alexander Zverev suffered a horrific right ankle injury and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair towards the end of the second set. He later came out on crutches and hugged Nadal, patting the Spaniard in the face with encouragement. Nadal then moved on to help pack Zverev's tennis bag.
With Nadal serving at 7-6 (8), 5-6, 40-30 a forehand slapped up the line that Zverev raced to recover but beat him he crashed hard with a right ankle injury and screamed in pain. Zverev was later seen leaving the facility on crutches with his right foot in a box.
"Well, very difficult, no? Very said for him, " Nadal told Mats Wilander on the court. "Honestly, he was playing an incredible tournament. Yes, he is a very good fellow on tour.
"I know how much he fights to win a major championship. But right now he was pretty unlucky, no? And the only thing I am sure of is that he will not win one, more than once, so I wish him all the best and a very quick recovery.”
The doctor came to him, Nadal crossed to see how Zverev was doing and the doctor came out and helped Zverev to his feet. Soon a wheelchair was brought in and Zverev was taken off the field.
The match lasted 3 hours and 3 minutes before the injury and it looked like it could have been heading for 5 or 6 hours.
"It was a very difficult match," said Nadal, now another world 111-3 at Roland Garros. "More than three hours and we did not even finish the second set, no? So he's one of the biggest challenges on the tour today when he plays at such a very high level, to play against.
"Of course, for me, as everyone knows, to be in the Roland Garros final again, is undoubtedly a dream. But at the same time that it ends this way, I've been there in the little room with Sasha before we get back to the playground. To see him crying there, it's a very difficult moment. So all the best to him and all the team.”
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