Nadal will play his 14th final on Parisian clay on Sunday against Casper Ruud (8th) or Marin Cilic (23rd).
Zverev retired while trailing 7-6 (10/8), 6-6 after a standoff lasting more than three hours.
He violently twisted his right ankle after his final strike and was evacuated in a wheelchair before returning on crutches to formalize his abandonment.
© 2022 AFP