Rafael Nadal’s uncle brutally criticizes German player Alexander Zverev, provoking his ire.
After losing in the French Open final, Alexander Zverev came under fire from Rafael Nadal’s uncle.
The uncle of tennis great Rafael Nadal, Toni Nadal, has criticized Alexander Zverev’s on-court demeanor as the runner-up at the French Open.
Zverev lost a hard-fought five-set match against Carlos Alcaraz last week, missing out on his maiden Grand Slam victory.Alcaraz became the youngest person in history to win Grand Slams on all three surfaces when he recovered a 2-1 deficit to win the Roland Garros championship.
It was Zverev’s second Grand Slam final defeat of his career, having lost to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final.
And Zverev’s mindset, in coach Nadal’s opinion, hurt him in the French capital.
“After the tremendous comeback in the previous set and after gaining a 0-15 lead, Alexander made a petty error and turned angrily to his corner to protest,” wrote Rafael Nadal in an article for El Pais.
“In the space of a quarter of an hour, Alcaraz had already taken a 4-0 lead in this crucial set.”
There would only be one winner because Alcaraz was in such a winning mindset when the competition came down to a decisive set.
Zverev’s in-game management was criticized by Rafael Nadal as Alcaraz secured a historic victory on Roland Garros clay with a 6-2 final set win.
“If Zverev hasn’t been able to win a Grand Slam tournament yet, it’s definitely because he hasn’t been able to control this kind of circumstance, like in the beginning of the fourth set against Alcaraz,” the speaker went on.
After a valiant comeback, Carlos faced him in the fourth set and maintained his composure, conviction, and faith in winning. Something that only the greatest winners can accomplish. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Alcaraz.”
As soon as Alcaraz raised the Musketeers’ Cup, focus immediately shifted to the upcoming Grand Slam in tennis.
