Alexander Zverev, having finally added a Grand Slam title to his trophy cabinet, actually boasts a hugely impressive set of silverware.
After all, even before his maiden major, he had an array of tournament wins that most players could only dream of.
Multiple Grand Slam finals marked frustrating near-misses, but also served as marks of quality to go alongside his Olympic gold medal and ATP Finals successes as well.
Realistically, Roland Garros provided the cherry on top of an already impressive career.
Now, speaking after that long-awaited title, Alexander Zverev was asked to compare it to that 2020 triumph at the Tokyo Olympics.
Alexander Zverev compares Olympic gold to his first Grand Slam
Speaking to Sky Germany, he was asked if he would now rank that French Open win above his Olympic gold medal.
Zverev was unequivocal in his answer: “No. Not for me.
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“The Olympic Games are the most difficult 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 a Games. You don’t just win for yourself. The whole country supports you. You have a whole nation behind you.
“The Olympic Games are simply something much more special.”
Zverev recently stated when he plans to retire from tennis, and if that is to be the case, then there will be plenty more opportunities to add to his Olympic success.
Alexander Zverev claims he deserved to win a Grand Slam
In that same interview, Zverev also explained why he felt he thoroughly deserved this major title, even if the way in which it came about was somewhat fortuitous.
After all, early exits for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, as well as Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal before the event, paved the way for a much easier route to the title.
Zverev acknowledged this, admitting: “I think we have earned this victory by hand. We did almost everything, or many things, to achieve this success. Of course, there have been comments from many people who said: ‘Okay, Sinner lost, Alcaraz didn’t even play.’ But how much bad luck have I had in the Grand Slams in recent years?
“I think it’s good to have a little luck once in a while, and I’m more than happy to accept it.”
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“I’ve just done enough in the last 10 or 15 years to win a Grand Slam. Of course, you can never be 100% sure of winning it. Especially since we have had so many incredible players. Before there were Novak, Rafa and Roger, and now there are Alcaraz and Sinner. There is never a guarantee of winning. But of course I’m happy. I am happy to have finally won this title.”
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