Final already historic
Zverev only enjoys French Open final for five minutes
08.06.2024, 11:15 a.m.
For the first time since 2004, the final of the French Open will take place without Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. The German Alexander Zverev is aiming for his long-awaited first Grand Slam title, following in the footsteps of Boris Becker. And has unforgettable plans.
Alexander Zverev’s joy at reaching the final of the French Open for the first time was short-lived. “I know that I still have one match ahead of me. That’s the main thing. I know that the tournament is not over. I’ll be happy for exactly five minutes and then I want to prepare for the final,” said the Olympic tennis champion in an interview with Eurosport after his convincing four-set victory against Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semi-finals of Roland Garros.
In his second major final, the Hamburg native wants to (3 p.m./Eurosport and in the live ticker at ntv.de) finally fulfill the dream of his first Grand Slam title. The 27-year-old’s opponent is Spanish Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz. “I want to play a good match. If I manage that, then we’ll see how it goes,” said Zverev. “I expect a difficult match. I’ve beaten him before, I’ve lost against him before. But the final of a Grand Slam is a different world.” Zverev can become the first male German Grand Slam winner since Boris Becker, who triumphed at the Australian Open in 1996 – and never made it past the semi-finals in Paris.
After reaching the final, Zverev thought back to his Grand Slam final debut three and a half years ago in New York. “I was no longer a child then, but I was still kind of a chick,” said the 27-year-old. Since the narrow five-set defeat in the US Open final against the Austrian Dominic Thiem, he has developed both athletically and personally, said the Hamburg native. “I hope that I will show that on the court on Sunday.”
Zverev doesn’t want to hear anything more about the trial in Berlin
Then Zverev, who won the semi-finals on Friday with 2:6, 6:2, 6:4, 6:2 against the Norwegian Casper Ruud, who was suffering from stomach pains, will compete in a historic final: For the first time since 2004, neither Roger Federer nor Novak Djokovic nor the 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal will be in the final in Paris. The search is on for the clay court king of this season.
“This court connects me with some of the greatest emotions of my career,” said Zverev, who seriously injured his foot there two years ago in the semifinal against Rafael Nadal. “I hope that Sunday will be an emotion that I will never forget for the rest of my life.” He is happy that “after many painful days, many defeats that may have hurt,” he has another chance at one of the four biggest titles in tennis.
Especially now that the trial against him for alleged assault on his then girlfriend ended without a verdict. The Tiergarten district court in Berlin dropped the case in return for a fine of 200,000 euros. There was no conviction. Agreeing to pay a fine does not mean an admission of guilt. Zverev is still considered innocent. “I’m happy that it’s over,” said Zverev, who emphasized to the journalists when asked for the second time at the press conference: “I never want to hear another question about this topic. That goes for everyone.”