Final preview: Alcaraz vs Zverev - Roland-Garros - The official site

Rafael Nadal has extensive knowledge on how to win at Roland-Garros, and he has constantly reiterated that even though winning can bring happiness, you must go through hardship to earn your victory.

Both of the finalists who will compete for the Coupe des Mousquetaires today have faced their own challenges to earn their spot in the competition.

Alexander Zverev has a complicated history with Court Philippe-Chatrier. However, on Friday night, it became the setting of his greatest triumph yet. After four consecutive semi-final appearances, he finally reached the final by defeating Casper Ruud, which was incredibly fulfilling.

However, two years earlier when he was at the same point in his career, he had a close match against Nadal where they both fought fiercely and were evenly matched. Unfortunately, he stumbled and ended up injuring himself, tearing three ligaments in his ankle. It was believed by many that this match was his greatest opportunity to win, but it had slipped away.

Zverev had previously competed in a Grand Slam final at the US Open in 2020, where he was just two points away from securing victory. Unfortunately, Thiem prevented him from achieving his goal. This defeat was very difficult for him to accept, and his situation was worsened by the need for surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period. Many people would have found it overwhelming to cope with these challenges. Nevertheless, Zverev remained strong and resilient.

He expressed that his journey has had its ups and downs, from nearly winning the US Open final to being physically dependent on a wheelchair during his previous visit here two years ago. He believes that during tough times, one has a choice to either become stronger or weaker mentally. Luckily, he chose to come back stronger and more motivated to succeed.

Carlos Alcaraz has also experienced the sour feeling of losing on this specific court. In the previous year, he entered the semi-final with a slight advantage over Novak Djokovic. However, he became anxious and suffered from muscle cramps.

Djokovic managed to catch up, leaving Alcaraz feeling defeated due to his own weaknesses. However, he gained valuable insight from his loss and showed resilience when he encountered cramping during his match with Jannik Sinner on Friday. He pushed through the discomfort and persevered.

"I'm mentally tougher now," he stated. "I've learned how to handle such circumstances. If I remain determined, I know that the cramps will eventually vanish. Enduring the pain is critical, and I've grasped that after my prior experiences. The secret is to embrace the agony and find pleasure in it."

Over the past three and a half years, they've faced each other nine times (Zverev is ahead with a 5-4 record). Their clay court matches have favored Alcaraz, who has won two out of three meetings. Meanwhile, Zverev has the upper hand in Grand Slams with a record of 2-1. Despite both players having successful careers on clay, Alcaraz has seven clay court titles to his name, whereas Zverev can boast eight. In the current rankings, Alcaraz sits at world No.3 whilst Zverev is ranked No.4. A notable difference between the two is that Alcaraz has already secured two Grand Slam titles, whereas this is only the second final for Zverev.

There's hardly any difference between them and they share one important thing in common: they're aware that they need to push through hardships to win the tournament today.