Sunday 01 August 2021
Surprising gold at the Olympics
Zverev silences his critics
By Michael Wilkening, Tokyo
The relationship between tennis professional Alexander Zverev and the public has so far been hypothermic. He is now dedicating the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo to “all of Germany” – and at the same time clearing up an allegation from the professional world.
There were no outbursts of emotion, there were no tears. In the greatest moment of his career so far, Alexander Zverev laughed after falling briefly to his knees immediately after the last rally. The moment was too big for the 24-year-old, it must have felt unreal. “I think there is hardly anyone in the world who is happier than me at the moment,” he said some time later. The tennis player had won the fourth gold medal for Germany at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The importance of success is far greater than a line in the medal balance, Zverev became one of the greats of his sport in the Ariake Tennis Park, and may soon become a favorite of the Germans.
The name Boris Becker is forever associated with tennis in Germany since he won Wimbledon, the Mecca of his sport, in 1985 as a 17-year-old. Becker also won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 – in doubles with Michael Stich. Zverev has triumphed in the individual, which was previously only achieved by Steffi Graf, but not by any German gentleman. There were few opportunities for Zverev to step out of the shadow of Becker, whom Germans love with all their hearts and sometimes loathe. He used one of them in Tokyo.
Zverev doesn’t just think of Zverev
In 79 minutes, Zverev swept over the Russian Karen Khachanov in the final, who tried hard but had no chance in the 3: 6, 1: 6 defeat. At the most important appearance of his career, the German appeared focused as seldom before, from the first to the last rally there was no doubt who would receive the gold medal afterwards. Zverev acted near the optimum. At the US Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, he was in the final last year. He had won the ATP World Championship and four Masters tournaments in recent years, but it was only in Japan that he refuted the accusation that he could not celebrate great triumphs. “The Olympic Games are so much bigger than anything else, they are the greatest in sport,” said Zverev: “I now have this medal around my neck, that means everything.”
The final act on the way to gold was not very spectacular because it was one-sided. But in the semifinals he had achieved a special kind of performance when he defeated Novak Djokovic and thus the number one in the world rankings, which has won all Grand Slam titles so far this year and was considered invincible. Two days before winning the gold medal, Zverev had shown emotions on the field, tears ran down his cheeks. “I’m not playing for myself here, but for a whole country,” he said after the success against the Serbian and repeated this message after the final. “This medal belongs to the whole of Germany,” he said, a little bit stately. The message behind it: Look here, I don’t just think of myself.
“The others can say what they want”
The relationship between Zverev and the German public has so far been hypothermic. The super talent was reserved in interviews, often appeared selfish, at first sometimes childishly defiant. He regularly canceled appearances in the Davis Cup, which tied the nation in front of the television with his famous predecessor in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In addition, the hopes for quick success in the really big tournaments were not fulfilled, so that the Zverev clan was shown respect, but not love, back home. Father Alexander as trainer and brother Mischa, also a professional on the ATP tour, formed a close community with the youngest member of the family. So far, no one has been permanently admitted to this group, not even tennis fans in Germany.
The sporting value of the Olympic victory in Tokyo does not come close to a success in one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, where seven victories in the best-of-five mode are necessary. The effect on its standing in Germany could still be greater than the victory in Japan. At the Olympic Games, attention goes far beyond the tennis-loving community. Even a final on the “holy lawn” at Wimbledon would not sharpen the focus on a tennis professional as much as the award ceremony at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo. Zverev will receive recognition at home with the gold medal, maybe even love.
At the same time, he would like to end a professional discussion. “The others can say what they want,” he explained to the tennis experts and ex-professionals who had questioned Zverev’s ability to win the big titles: “I have gold at the Olympics,” he called out to the skeptics to. He could have added forever – and forever as the first German.
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