Andy Murray’s former coach suggests big rule change after watching Alexander Zverev vs Rafael Nadal at French Open

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One of Andy Murray’s former coaches has suggested a rule change after watching Alexander Zverev take on Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

In 2022, the pair played one another in the semi-finals when they were ranked inside the top five.

Two years later, with the German ranked fourth and Nadal unseeded due to a long injury layoff, they did battle again in Paris, but this time as early as round one.

The draw left the tennis world stunned as one high-calibre player would be making an early exit from the clay court Grand Slam.

Mark Petchey suggests a rule change to seedings 

Mark Petchey coached Murray from 2005 to 2006 and guided the British player into the world’s top 50.

The former World Number 80 is now a tennis commentator and witnessed Nadal and Zverev play a gripping first round match at Roland Garros.

Following the buzz ahead of the tournament with a match of that magnitude happening so early, Petchey thought of a change that would enable this to happen more often.

“Given the attention the Zverev/Nadal match gave @rolandgarros post draw and yesterday, wasn’t just 16 seeds a great thing to grab the attention of the sporting world at the beginning of Majors?”, he tweeted.

Nadal loses possibly his final French Open match to Alexander Zverev

Nadal exceeded expectations with the level he showed in a gripping contest against Zverev.

The former World Number One started slowly and lost the opening set as a result, but he raised his game in the second to break Zverev and go on to serve for a chance to level the match.

But the 27-year-old hit back with a magnificent return game to level the set, before claiming it on a tiebreak.

In the third and final frame, Zverev came back from 0-2 down to claim a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 win in just over three hours.

“It’s incredible, the amount of energy, It’s difficult for me to talk,” Nadal said to the crowd. “ I don’t know if it’s gonna be the last time if I’m going to be here in front of all of you. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it.

“The feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words but for me it’s so special to feel the love from the people, in the way that I felt in the place that I won the most.”