Fresh off his Italian Open victory, Alexander Zverev is ready to take his next revenge on clay. And this time, he is determined to overcome all the physical limitations to win the “toughest” of all competitions, Roland Garros. Especially as it is the one where he has the “most memories”. Shedding light on his next goal, Zverev spoke about how he is now vying for his next title on clay.

Alexander Zverev, known for his powerful service and baseline prowess, has had a complicated history with clay. Although right now he is basking in the glory of his second title in Rome, it was not the case a couple of years ago. Recalling those tough times of his career, when asked about why he wants to win in Roland Garros, his answer was pretty straightforward.

“Because it’s clay, to start with. It’s the most physical one for me, in my opinion. It’s the physically toughest one. But I think it’s the one where I have the most memories, good or bad.” 

The German tennis pro experienced one of the most challenging times of his career during his semi-final match in the French Open of 2022. It was during that match that he suffered an ankle injury while competing against the king of Clay. While hitting his racquet, he fell on the ground, gasping in excruciating pain and holding his ankle. Soon, he was taken out of the ground in a wheelchair. But little did he know that it was going to keep him away from the spotlight for almost a year. 

However, after going through surgery, he came back again last year and faced a semi-final defeat once again. And this time, it was Casper Ruud. But his misery did not end there. Zverev further recalled his U.S. Open quarterfinal exit in 2023 against Carlos Alcaraz and said, “US Open, yes, I was two points away from winning the title. Of course, that’s also one that kind of sticks out.”

Not only in the last couple of years but even during the 2021 French Open, we saw Zverev go through another semi-final defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas after a gripping five-set match. And he remembers that too. “Roland Garros is so close to being in the final in 2021. I felt like. Those kind of things, they are still in the back of my mind. Yeah, that’s the one that I want to do well in,” he concluded. However, having gone through such a difficult time in his career, Alexander Zverev is now enjoying his “special week” in Italy.

Alexander Zverev reflects on his “very, very special week”

Alexander Zverev defeated Nicolas Jarry and won his trophy for the second time after 2017. And after this, the Chilean player will soon climb up the ranking to a No. 4, overtaking Daniil Medvedev. Naturally, Zverev is on cloud nine. His post-match comments reflected the same.“Obviously winning my first ever (Masters) here in Rome and winning my first after my injury also in Rome, so Rome is a very special place for me. It is a very, very special week.”

Now, as the tennis world turns its gaze towards the French Open, Alexander Zverev’s journey is the one we are waiting to watch. And we all hope that his aim of leaving an indelible mark on the clay court gets fulfilled.