ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2026

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/R. Jodar

7-6, 6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Sascha, well done. 5-2 down in the first set. How did you turn it around, and how pleased are you with your performance today?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Great question. Almost like a real journalist (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, it was very different conditions today. I had to find my rhythm. He was playing a lot better than me in the beginning, because he, I feel like, found his rhythm a lot quicker than I did.

Once I did, I felt quite well on the court and felt like it was a good match from my end.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Sascha, you know, Rafael is 19 years old. Your next opponent will be 19 or 20. How do you feel about this age gap, and does it give you more confidence being a more experienced player, or it feels more pressure on you?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think it shows that we have a great group of young players that are playing fantastic tennis. That's what it shows. I think nothing more, nothing less.

For me, it doesn't matter. I focus on the next match. I focus on the things that I can control. Yeah, we have fantastic players that are young on the tour right now; we have a lot of potential on the tour right now.

But, again, I have to trust myself, trust my game and focus on my job.

Q. It's not too bad, five semifinals out of last six years and lost only one set, so you are in good form and shape. Since most players don't tell you if you ask them if you would prefer to play Mensik or Fonseca, you can surprise me and tell me that (laughing), if you want to do it. Are you surprised about the three Italians in the quarters in the other side of the draw, and which one of those three surprised you more? I mean, the most. Did you expect Berrettini to come back, Arnaldi to did what he did against Tiafoe last night, or Cobolli is the one that you know better, so just...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, the one I know best is Matteo, but for me Matteo always has the level, and it's just about him bringing it on the tennis court. I'm not surprised that he found his level, for me.

Probably the biggest surprise is Matteo Arnaldi. I think ranking-wise and what he's done in the past. I think Cobolli, we know the potential that he had. Berrettini, we know he's a Grand Slam finalist. He can play fantastic tennis. If you talk about surprise, probably Arnaldi, but again, he's a fantastic tennis player.

I feel like the draw opened up a lot on the top half. I feel like in the bottom half, less. Of course, with Joao Fonseca beating Djokovic, it's a big match that opened up the draw.

Everything else is kind of normal-ish on the bottom half. In the top half, of course, it's different.

Who do I prefer to play? I don't care at all, to be honest. No, I just don't care (smiling). For me, it doesn't matter.

Q. So like a week ago Charlie and I were arguing about what we would prefer, an Olympic gold medal or a Grand Slam? I said unless it's Wimbledon, I want the gold medal. He was on the Grand Slam side. I'm wondering --

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: You?

Q. I'm wondering what you prefer, and if you would ever trade your gold medal for a Grand Slam?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No chance. The gold medal for me is the most difficult thing to win, because you get a chance once every four years. It's special in a way that there is so little people that have done it. I think you do it for your country. You do it for the people back home.

I will never trade my gold medal for anything, but I wouldn't mind to add a few things to my list as well (smiling).

Q. I wanted to ask you a question about shot selection. It feels like that's something that takes a little bit of time to learn. I just wondered with you that balance of when to pull the trigger, how much that's something that just comes with experiences, or how much you can kind of teach that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think when you are young and when you grow, when you become physically stronger, you automatically have more weapons. Those weapons all of a sudden, they surprise yourself a little bit that you can hit a forehand all of a sudden at 100 miles an hour or you can serve at 140, which you maybe a year ago you couldn't do, because you grow, you're physically stronger.

Sometimes you want to use that all the time, and I think it takes, yeah, time, just time, just years on tour to realize that you don't always have to. That also depends on the opponent, depends on what state the opponent is in.

It's just time on tour, I think.

Q. Is there an extent, as well, to which you realize that the fact that players are afraid of your power means you don't have to use it all the time because they're backing up and that sort of thing, so you can employ the dropshot, and you don't always have to go for the --

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think variety comes into play. I think that's where Roger was probably the best ever to change things up. Sometimes when he was playing incredibly well, you felt like you didn't know how to play him after a couple of games.

You felt like you didn't know how to play tennis anymore because he was destroying your game, because he could hit a forehand, as I said, 110 miles an hour, and then he could hit a dropshot the next point. It was always very confusing to play him.

Yeah, of course, when you have power, when you have natural power, other things become more easy to use. You know, the dropshot becomes more easy to use because people back off. Maybe a kick serve becomes easier to use when you have 140 in your shoulder. When you do it constantly and all the time, it's not as effective.

Q. Sascha, when it comes to the next match, what is going to be the most important factor to allow you to get through to the next stage from your side and maybe even your opponent's side?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: For me it's quite simple. It's me playing well. I've said it before, I think I really have to trust my game, and I have to trust my tennis and trust myself. If I play well, then I think that's 99% of the work.

Q. Just wondering with your name coming up as one of the favorites, is that something that motivates you, or do you try and block your ears when you hear that and stay focused?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: As I said before, I don't particularly care. I focus on next match, and I focus on the opponent as they cross the net, and that's the only thing that I can control.

If I win those matches, then that's great.