After his spectacular fourth-final coup against the exceptional tennis talent Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev did what he always does after a match during the current French Open.

"I'm going home, then the same food is ordered that we've been eating for two weeks and then the UN cards are unpacked," said Zverev on the TV channel Eurosport after his second consecutive semi-final in Paris.

Incidentally, the Olympic champion should also have seen how his two potential semi-final opponents Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal beat the balls around their ears for more than four hours.

In the end, Nadal prevailed at 1:15 a.m. early Wednesday morning 6: 2, 4: 6, 6: 2, 7: 6 (7: 4) and will now meet Zverev on Friday.

Nadal leaves the future open

"I just beat the currently best player in the world," Zverev said after his 6: 4, 6: 4, 4: 6, 7: 6 (9: 7) against Alcaraz.

"But it won't get any easier," said the German number one with a view to the semifinals against 13-time Paris champion Nadal.

But in Tuesday's form, Zverev can also be trusted against Nadal.

"I'm still number three in the world, I've won big matches and tournaments," said the native of Hamburg, almost a little defiantly.

It was such a big match against Alcaraz, even if it wasn't directly about a title.

But after everyone had only talked about the 19-year-old Alcaraz for days, Zverev's progress was also a satisfaction.

Rarely focused, he disenchanted Alcaraz, who he himself says will win many more Grand Slam titles.

In the Stade Roland Garros, Alcaraz had to line up behind Zverev again.

For Germany's best tennis players, this should not be the end of the French capital.

He also wants to step onto the pitch with a lot of confidence against Nadal, even if everyone sees him as an outsider again.

"The self-belief just has to be there, no matter what the others say," said Zverev.

Meanwhile, tennis star Nadal left his future open after the French Open.

"I'm playing this tournament because we're getting things done that I'm ready to play the tournament.

But I don't know what happens after that," said the 35-year-old Spaniard early on Wednesday morning after reaching the semi-finals in Paris.

The record Grand Slam winner has been playing with a chronic foot injury, the so-called Müller-Weiss syndrome, for a long time.

Just three weeks ago, Nadal could hardly walk at the end of a match at the tournament in Rome.

"Having a doctor with me here helps a lot," said Nadal.

"But the last three months haven't been easy, so I was very emotional after the game today," admitted the 13-time Paris champion.

Nadal's full focus is now on the semifinals against Zverev on Friday and an eventual final on Sunday.

After that you have to see how it goes.

"I have what I have in my foot.

So if we're not able to find an improvement or a little fix for that, then it's going to be super difficult for me," Nadal said.

"Of course I will continue to fight to find a solution, but so far we haven't found any."