French Open
Zverev wants to emulate “Beast” Alcaraz in terms of intensity
Alexander Zverev was disappointed after losing the final of the French Open against Carlos Alcaraz. Photo
© Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
What made the difference in the French Open final? For Alexander Zverev, the matter is clear: he was not quite as fit as his opponent. The German tennis star has therefore announced changes.
“We are both physically strong, but he is a beast. He is definitely an animal,” said Zverev (27) about the 21-year-old: “His intensity is what kills you.” He now wants to consult with his team “and see what I can do to get to the same level.”
Zverev: “I lost focus”
Zverev’s statement after the 3:6, 6:2, 7:5, 1:6, 2:6 in Paris in his second Grand Slam final was surprising. The Hamburg native is considered one of the fittest players on the tour, and in the two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros the Olympic champion was on the court for a total of 23 hours and 46 minutes – including three five-set matches. Nevertheless, he said: “What I have learned here is that I have to get to a completely different level physically.”
He said he felt the strain of the previous matches from the fourth set onwards. He “lost focus and I didn’t get the power out of my legs when serving, which is strange,” said the world number four, “because I don’t normally get tired. I don’t get cramps.”
In general, Zverev presented himself in a good mood despite the great disappointment. He also did not use the wrong decision in the fifth set by the main referee, who overruled a correct call of out at 1:2 and 40:15 and on Alcaraz’s second serve, as an excuse. “I think I did everything I could,” he said. It was not like in his Grand Slam final debut at the 2020 US Open, “that I gave it away myself.”
Zverev was asked if he felt proud. “Yes and no,” he replied. “At the end of the day, you want to win and lift a trophy. I didn’t do that.”