Alexander Zverev taken off court in wheelchair after rolling ankle against Rafael Nadal; Rafa advances to Roland Garros final, 7-6 (8), 6-6

WATCH: Alexander Zverev suffers an ankle injury that forces him to retire in his semifinal against Rafael Nadal

Deep in the second set of his French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev ran for a ball behind the baseline and turned his ankle. Immediately, the German yelled in pain, then writhed on the terre battue as the 13-time French Open champion walked across the net to offer support.

Shortly after, the match was called:

The match—which lasted three hours and 13 minutes, despite just one set being completed—was a physical contest from the start. The first set alone lasted 91 minutes, ending in a tiebreak that saw Zverev unable to convert any of four set points. Nadal, for his part, squandered three set points earlier in the set.

Of the many set-point saves, this conversion from Nadal, trailing 6-4 in the tiebreak, was the most memorable:

But despite the sky-high level of play from both men under the roof on this rainy day in Paris, the match will ultimately be remembered for how it ended. Here are some photos from the moment we all suspected it was over—confirmed just a few minutes later.

Fortunes change quickly in tennis. Ask any recreational player, top junior, pro-tour journeyman—even a 21-time Grand Slam champion, and his worthy competitor. This match featured a variety of momentum swings, both in the ultra-competitive first set and a break-filled second. The first nine games featured eight service breaks; Nadal held serve for the first time at 4-5.

But no one could have foreseen what turn this match would take.

"Of course it's not easy and beautiful to talk after what happened," said Nadal. "Only thing that I can say is I hope he's not too bad. Hopefully it's just the normal thing when you turn your ankle, and hopefully is nothing breaked. That's what everybody hopes, and I was with Sascha, looks that they need to keep checking."

Asked if he spoke with Zverev after, the Spaniard confirmed that he did, but he woudn't comment on their conversation.

"I was with him, yes, and he was checking there in the echography, ultrasound," said Nadal. "He was checking the thing. I was just there to see how the things are evolving. I am not the one who says anything. If he wants to say, gonna be in, it's his decision. I can't talk for him."

Nadal didn't come away from this unscathed, though. He also confirmed that he will not play Wimbledon, opting to rest his body even if, on Sunday, he wins the year's first two majors.

Should Nadal win Roland Garros, he'll extend his record-setting men's Grand Slam single haul to 22, which would put him two ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Much more to come.