Alcaraz-Zverev, the keys to the French Open final
This is it. The finish line is just around the corner. There are just a few hundred more slides to be made on the Paris clay, and hopefully a few thousand balls to be hit on Court Philippe Chatrier, before the verdict of this 2024 edition is known.
The final of the men's singles draw at Roland-Garros takes place this Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev will take to the court at 3:00 pm, with the match due to start at around 3:10 pm. The Spaniard, world no. 3 and already winner of two Grand Slam titles at the age of 21, will start as the favorite against the German, world no. 4 and still chasing his first major title at the age of 27.
But we must be wary of making any predictions about the outcome of what promises to be an intense battle between the two men.
Several keys to the match. Alcaraz's level of physical freshness. He should be fully fit, but beware: he had to draw on his reserves during the four hours of his huge battle with Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
Another decisive factor will be Zverev's ability to maintain such a high percentage of first serves (70-80%) and, above all, to become more precise with his forehand, with which he will have to hurt his opponent.
On the backhand side, neither man has anything to worry about. Both players are likely to treat the spectators to some fine diagonals. A diagonal from which Alcaraz will probably want to extract himself to annoy Zverev on the other side. As we said, the level of the German's forehand will be a key factor.
But if all these parameters are validated, they'll need to find a way out of the monumental tussle that's about to take place on the baseline. And it's probably the ability to play towards the net that will make the difference. A sector of the game in which the Spaniard - with his untouchable drop shots, overpowering volley lifts and classic, perfectly-hit volleys - should have the upper hand.
Alcaraz, if he's in perfect physical condition, clearly seems to have a head start. Unless, of course, the German is having a great day on the tennis court, which would allow him to belie the statistics at every level.
The only way to find out for sure is this Sunday at 3:00 pm on Court Philippe Chatrier. And may the best player win!
Programme de Roland Garros du Sunday 9 June :
Court Philippe Chatrier à 14h00
Alcaraz bat Zverev 63 26 57 61 62
French Open 
