Alexander Zverev Values Olympic Gold Medal over his Roland Garros Title: “The Whole Country Supports You

Alexander Zverev ended his Grand Slam final heartbreak after winning the Roland Garros crown. After having won a singles title at every level- ATP 250, ATP 500, ATP 1000, and Olympic gold- the Grand Slam was the only realm remaining for him to conquer.

He had three runner-up finishes at this level, the 2020 US Open, 2024 Roland Garros, and 2025 Australian Open, before finally winning in Paris this year.

This win not only marked the most important victory of his career, but also provided an emotional relief after years of unsuccessful attempts at this level.

In a statement relayed by Punto De Break, Zverev was asked about which title he valued more – a Grand Slam or an Olympic Gold. Zverev, who had won the Olympic Gold in Tokyo, explained why he valued this title more:

The Olympic Games are the hardest title to win. They are held once every four years. We have very few Olympic champions and many great players who never managed to win an Olympic gold. You don’t win just for yourself. The whole country supports you. You have an entire nation behind you. The Olympics are simply something much more special.

The Olympic gold is a feat that very few players in their lives accomplish. Even tennis legends like Roger Federer have missed out on this title. Zverev defeated Karen Khachanov 6–3, 6–1 in the final to win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Zverev became the first German man to win gold at this level.

Alexander Zverev explains why he doesn’t perform well on grass

Alexander Zverev has reached three grass court finals in his career, losing all of them. He has also never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. In comparison, the German has a brilliant clay and hard-court resume. He has won 15 titles on hard court and 10 on clay, including multiple Masters 1000 titles. When asked about his grass-court result, Zverev replied:

There is a misconception about grass court tennis. People think it’s about playing aggressively, but that’s not the decisive factor. The key to playing well on grass is the ability to move agilely on the surface. And for me, standing at two meters and weighing 95 kilograms, that’s difficult. I played incredibly well on grass in 2024. I said then that I felt better than ever. And what happened? I slipped and fractured a knee bone. That’s the kind of thing that can only happen on grass. 

Zverev will next play his home tournament in Halle, where he is the top seed. Zverev was the runner-up at this tournament for two consecutive years from 2016 to 2017.

Alexander Zverev’s Roland Garros title run

Alexander Zverev ended Germany’s 30-year men’s Grand Slam drought after his win in Roland Garros. This also makes him only the third German man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam after Boris Becker and Michael Stich. Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli in five sets in the Roland Garros final. This marked the first Grand Slam final since the 2023 US Open to not feature Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Zverev is also the first Grand Slam champion outside of Djokovic, Sinner or Alcaraz since the 2022 Roland Garros. Zverev had also reached the Roland Garros final two years ago, where he lost to Alcaraz in five sets. With his win this year, Zverev is also the first German man to win the Roland Garros title in the Open Era.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal Says Alexander Zverev Finally Winning Grand Slam Title is ‘Positive Thing for Tennis’