World number three Alexander Zverev saw his bid to win a first Grand Slam come to an abrupt end at the 2022 French Open at the hands of 13-time winner Rafael Nadal. Zverev saw his campaign end after he was forced to retire following an injury in the second set.
Having defeated Carlos Alcaraz Garfia and Novak Djokovic respectively in the quarterfinals, Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal went head-to-head for a place in the final of the 2022 French Open. The German world number three and the Spanish great delivered a great match in Paris, with the first set ending 7-6 to the experienced Spaniard.
As the second set wore on, both men continued to slug it out in the humidity of Paris. The second set was tied at 6-6 before Zverev suffered a terrible ankle injury following a return. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist twisted his ankle and was led off the court in a wheelchair before returning on crutches to acknowledge the fans and wish his opponent Nadal well.
In the second semi-final, eighth seed Casper Ruud came from a set down to defeat veteran Croatian Marin Cilic and book a date in the final against Nadal. The 23-year-old Norwegian won the match 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2 to reach the first Grand Slam final of his career.
