‘To see him crying is a very tough moment’ – Rafael Nadal upset by Alexander Zverev French Open retirement

Rafael Nadal said of Alexander Zverev’s injury heartbreak in their French Open semi-final that “to see him crying is a very tough moment.”

Nadal and Zverev had been playing for three hours on court as they attempted to reach the final on Sunday, and with the score at 7-6(2) 6-6 in the Spaniard’s favour, Zverev heavily rolled his ankle and fell to the ground, screaming.

The German had to leave the court in a wheelchair before returning on crutches to concede the match, and Nadal spoke after the confirmation of that the match was over.

“I know how much he was fighting to win a Grand Slam,” he said. “For the moment he was very unlucky. I’m sure he’s going to win much more than one and I wish him all the best.

“It had been a super tough match, over three hours, we hadn’t finished the second set. It’s one of the biggest challenges on the tour today when he’s playing on this super high level. Difficult to say a lot of things in this situation.”

The former world number one observed that it was a bittersweet finish to the match.

“For me, to be in the final of Roland-Garros one more time is a dream,” he continued.

“But at the same time, to finish that way, I have been there in the small room with Sascha, to see him crying is a very rough moment. All the best to him and his team.”

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