Alexander Zverev’s long wait finally came to an end on Sunday as the German won his first-ever Grand Slam by clinching the French Open title. The 29-year-old defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 in a five-set marathon to win the second Grand Slam of the year. Following this tremendous achievement, Zverev received congratulatory messages from Sachin Tendulkar and Rafael Nadal, and both legends lauded his persistence and determination.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal said that Zverev deserved it all after all the hard work he has put in over the years. The Spaniard also received special praise for Cobolli, who narrowly missed out at Roland Garros.
“Congratulations, @AlexZverev, on winning @rolandgarros! So well deserved after all the hard work and perseverance. You’ve been chasing your first Grand Slam for a long time, and you absolutely deserve it! And congratulations to Flavio as well for a fantastic tournament,” Nadal wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
On the other hand, Master Blaster Tendulkar spoke about how Zverev was made to wait for his first-ever Grand Slam, saying he always believed the German to be a “special player.”
“Sometimes, tennis can take a long time to give back what players keep putting in. Good to see Alexander Zverev win his first Grand Slam at Roland-Garros today. Always felt he was a special player,” Tendulkar wrote.
“Credit to Flavio Cobolli for the way he competed today as well. Both players gave everything to the game,” he added.
What Zverev said?
Zverev also suffered cramps in the summit clash in the fourth set, but the French Open winner believes this minor setback made him more focused, leading to a dominant display in the fifth and final set.
“With Jannik going out, Novak going out, I managed to stay composed. But then today I feel I didn’t manage so well. I was nervous, but it’s also human,” Zverev told reporters.
“The cramps helped me because, in the end, it helped my mind let go. That’s why I played the fifth set the way I did.”
The life came full circle for Zverev after his win at Roland Garros this year. Just four years back, he left the tournament in a wheelchair with seven broken bones in his foot. Moreover, two years back, he suffered a defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
The 29-year-old also paid tribute to his team, which had remained by his side through the setbacks. “I probably have the longest-lasting team and coach on the tour,” he said.
