After defeating French Open legend Rafael Nadal in the opening round, Zverev lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the previous year’s final.
Zverev defeated the record 14-time champion, becoming him the final man to play Nadal in a Grand Slam match at Roland Garros.
The German told reporters on Friday that his flight from Hamburg to Paris had been “a phenomenal trip” following a lightning strike on his jet.
“We were scheduled to take off from Hamburg last evening accompanied by (Jiri) Lehecka, (Brandon) Nakashima, and a few doubles men when, ironically, we were struck by lightning.
As a result, we had to return to Hamburg via emergency landing. Everyone else flew the following morning since they couldn’t find another plane.
It was the first time that lightning struck in midair, which is strange because there was only a slight boom and no actual wobble, but it happened. That concluded my journey. The greatest Roland Garros tale to date.
Learner Tien, an American teenager ranked 67th, is Zverev’s first opponent this year in Paris.
“I’m playing another lefty, but obviously not somebody who won the tournament 14 times,” he stated.
“The most challenging challenge in sports history, in my opinion, is Rafa Nadal on Philippe Chatrier Court.
“I believe he will be missed by the fans. It’s wonderful to see Roland Garros organizing a lavish event and something unique for him. I’m eager to find out what that will be.
Zverev also placed second in the 2020 US Open final and lost to Italian Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final this year.
He finished in the quarterfinals in Rome and lost in the last 16 in Hamburg this week as part of his preparation for the competition.
According to the 28-year-old, “I think the first few matches will be very important for me, for sure,”
“But once more, Roland Garros is not like any other clay-court competition.
“Many additional factors are taken into account here.
“I recall Carlos having a terrible clay court season the previous year. He came in here, perhaps having more trouble in the early going, but he eventually found his groove and won the tournament.
“Of course, it’s what I’m searching for, but I’m not claiming that will happen to me.
“It is imperative that I perform well in the beginning. Particularly after the Australian Open, I’m eager for another chance.
