ATP Tour

Zverev: 'No matter what happens, I'll always be a Grand Slam champion'

A two-time Nitto ATP Finals winner, a seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion and an Olympic gold medallist, Alexander Zverev had long been one of the most accomplished players on Tour never to win a major title.

Zverev came agonisingly close to Grand Slam glory in 2020 at the US Open, where he led Dominic Thiem by two sets and a break before falling in five sets. Two more Grand Slam final defeats followed, leaving the German still searching for that big moment that had eluded him.

The 29-year-old's moment finally arrived Sunday at Roland Garros, where he defeated Flavio Cobolli to win his first Grand Slam title. As a long-time dream became a reality, the German could barely believe it when it happened.

“First of all, I didn't believe that I won,” Zverev shared. “Then I saw my box, and they all were celebrating. That's when I realised that I've won. Especially seeing my father raise up his arms, that was when it kind of hit me, ‘Okay, I won’.

“Then when I was on the ground, all the emotions came out because this court is very, very special to me, in a positive and a negative way. I had some of the toughest moments of my tennis career here. I was lying on this court with an injury that I didn't know if I would ever come back from. I lost a Grand Slam final here. All of those memories for me, they're not wiped out. They're still with me, but this one will beat all of them.”

For someone who had spent years chasing this moment, Zverev will always carry the memory with him. Not only as a happy memory, but as a confidence booster and a reminder of what persistence can achieve. No matter what happens from here, the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is taking comfort in knowing that he has finally won the trophy he spent so many years chasing.

“It happened for me very early at the Masters 1000 events because I won one when I was 20 years old,” Zverev said. “I've won a lot of Masters 1000s after that, and at a major it took longer.

“Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me. Maybe that does give me some freedom. Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play in a final, meaning even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion. This trophy for me is very important, because if I would have lost this one, the self-belief would have gone down a lot. But now that I've won it, I feel like I can do it again.”

While reflecting on perhaps the biggest victory of his career so far, Zverev credited his team for its role in the achievement. The German said their support had been instrumental throughout his journey, with his father, Alexander Zverev Sr. serving as his coach and his brother, former World No. 25 Mischa Zverev, also playing a key role as part of the team.

“In my scenario, it really is a family effort and a team effort,” Zverev shared. “Because I've had the same team for 12 years, at least, with the same physical trainer, coaches even longer.

“I think everybody deserves this trophy equally.”