"Rafael Nadal has 22 Grand Slams... I wish I would be that unlucky" - Alexander Zverev jokes about his luck being compared to Spaniard's

Alexander Zverev joked that he could be as "unlucky" as his first-round opponent at the 2024 French Open, Rafael Nadal. The German also said how both players would have wanted a different start to the tournament.

Nadal and Zverev will lock horns in the first round of the French Open. The German is the fourth seeded at the tournament while the Spaniard is unseeded.

During a recent press conference, Alexander Zverev was asked who he felt was unlucky between him and the Spaniard. The German couldn't understand the question and asked the basis for comparison.

"Unlucky? In what way?"

When the reporter made it clear that they were alluding to the draw, Zverev joked that he initially thought the reporter meant life and said he would love to be "unlucky" like Nadal, who has 22 Majors.

The German then answered the reporter's question and said that both the players would have chosen to have a different opponent if they had a chance.

"Ahh with the draw! I thought in life, I mean he has 22 Grand Slams, I don't know I mean. Nah, I wish I would be that unlucky, I'll take it. Umm… I think both of us if we would have had the choice, we would choose differently, for sure."

Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev will lock horns for the 11th time

Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev embrace after their French Open semifinal

The French Open first-round clash will be the 11th between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev. Out of their ten prior meetings, the Spaniard has won seven while the German came out on top thrice.

The first encounter between the two came in the Round of 16 of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in 2016, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion winning 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5. Nadal won the first five encounters between the two before Zverev beat him in the round-robin of the ATP Finals in 2019.

The only final between them came at the Italian Open in 2018, with the Spaniard winning 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. They met twice in Grand Slams, with Nadal winning both matches. He triumphed in five sets at the 2017 Australian Open while advancing to the 2022 French Open final after Zverev's ankle injury forced him to retire.

Whoever out of the two wins the first-round match, will face either David Goffin or Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard in the second round of the French Open.