The German Alexander Zverev, defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in the final of Roland Garros this Sunday, consoled himself by affirming that he did everything he could in the match but encountered a rival who is “a beast” and “an animal” in this sport.
“This time, I did everything I could,” said Zverev, who had an advantage in the match before eventually losing 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, after 4 hours and 19 minutes of play.
It was the second Grand Slam final he competed in and the second loss. The first was in 2020 at the US Open, where he was defeated by Austrian Dominic Thiem. “At the US Open, I felt like I let myself go. Today was different,” he said.
The 27-year-old German tennis player praised the level of his young rival, 21, who on Sunday became the youngest player in history to win Grand Slam tournaments on all three surfaces (hard court, grass, and now clay).
“He played fantastically. He played better than me in the fourth and fifth sets. He is a beast, an animal. The intensity with which he plays tennis is different from the others,” he emphasized.
“From the fourth set on, I didn’t have power in my legs when serving. For three sets, we played at a good level, then I dropped my performance,” he stated.
For Zverev, there was a lethal moment for his interests when Alcaraz could have committed a double fault with the German having a break point, but the umpire ruled that his serve hit the line. From potentially tying at 2-2 in the fifth set, he ended up 3-1 down, as Alcaraz finished winning that game.
“That made the difference. It’s frustrating for me, but it is what it is. Umpires can make mistakes; it’s human, I understand that. But in such situations, you wish there were no mistakes,” he indicated.
