The world was glued to the publication of the much awaited 2024 Roland Garros men’s draw on Thursday, as it revealed who would play 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the opening round.

All 127 players in the draw, including the Top 32 seeds, could have faced the Spaniard in the first round of the tournament due to his protected status before he started the competition.

As luck would have it, Zverev was the player who Nadal attracted to Roland Garros who was playing at his best. The Italian Open in Rome was won by the fourth-seeded German for the second time.

It’s the final big tournament before Roland Garros and, historically, a key indicator of a player’s development at the Grand Slam of clay. Zverev is now one of the favorites to win the tournament because the top three players in the world are having trouble with their form or level of fitness.

But it’s likely the last thing he wanted to do, pulling Nadal straight away. As a matter of fact, the two were scheduled to practice together, which is commonplace in the elite division of men’s tennis since the top players always work together in preparation for competitions.

That is understandably not going to happen because the draw matched them together. Since both players will prepare tactically and strategically for the game with their respective teams, this is likewise a no-brainer.

It’s amazing that Nadal and Zverev will play on a match court for the first time since the 2022 Roland Garros tournament. Two years ago, in the semifinal match, Zverev stumbled and hurt his ankle during the second-set tie-break, making for an underwhelming conclusion.

Sadly, the match resulted in a retirement despite being among the most contested in the competition. Nadal defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets to reach the final and earn his 22nd Grand Slam championship.