Rafael Nadal begins what may be his last French Open by playing No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in the first round on Monday, which is expected to be live on NBC Sports and Peacock.
Nadal and Zverev will play late in the day session in Paris, six hours ahead of Eastern Time. NBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET after Tennis Channel coverage.
Nadal-Zverev is the third scheduled match on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Play begins at 6 a.m. ET on the court with two women’s singles matches: No. 8 seed Ons Jabeur versus American Sachia Vickery, then top seed Iga Swiatek against France’s Leolia Jeanjean, followed by Nadal-Zverev.
FRENCH OPEN DRAWINGS: Gentlemen | Women | Broadcast schedule
Nadal will face a seeded player in the first round of a Slam for the first time in his 68th career Grand Slam appearance.
Because he has missed the past year and a half due to injuries, Nadal has not been seeded at a Slam for the first time since the 2005 Australian Open.
Because he was unseeded, the 14-time French Open champion was given the opportunity to draw a seeded player in the first round.
He pulled Zverev, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist who earlier this month won the Italian Open, the last top-level ATP Tour event before the French Open.
Nadal and Zverev last met in the semifinals of the 2022 French Open.
Nadal was leading that match 7-6 (8), 6-6 when Zverev retired after tearing the ligaments in his right ankle. Zverev missed the rest of the season.
The 37-year-old Nadal missed the French Open last year due to a left hip flexion injury and underwent surgery last June. Announcing his withdrawal before last year’s French Open, Nadal said he would likely retire in the second half of 2024.
On Saturday, Nadal said there is “a big chance” this will be his last French Open and that he will make a final decision some time after the tournament.
Nadal has played fifteen matches since the start of 2023. He won 5-3 in three clay tournaments this spring in the run-up to the French Open.
Nadal is trying to avoid losing consecutive matches on clay for the first time since his ATP Tour debut in April 2002. according to Tennisabstract.
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