Zverev turns terse when asked about facing his opponent again.
Alexander Zverev has made it to the semifinals at the French Open for the fourth consecutive time, but he's never won in Paris. Last year, he lost to Casper Ruud, and now they're set to face off again. During an interview, Zverev appeared nervous when answering questions.
In contrast to his previous two five-set battles, Zverev's victory in the quarterfinals felt like a relief at the French Open. "It was critical to win in three sets again and not play for four and a half hours. Also, considering the semis, it's just better that I'm feeling my best," remarked the German tennis pro after his 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Australian outsider Alex De Minaur.
Zverev's semi-final opponent Casper Ruud will have a major advantage when they play on Court Philippe Chatrier on Friday. Ruud, who advanced due to Novak Djokovic's injury-related withdrawal in the quarterfinals, has had three days to rest. Zverev, however, doesn't believe he'll automatically suffer any disadvantages due to this: "Physically, I feel great. I don't have any concerns about my body. I hope I can play well and put on a good show."
Zverev has an outstanding record against Ruud. In the 2022 French Open semifinals, Germany's top player had no chance against the 25-year-old Norwegian. "He's definitely one of the best players on this surface. I think I need to play my best tennis to have a chance," observed Zverev, who has reached the semifinals in eight Grand Slams - but still hasn't won at any of the major tournaments.
Referring to the man who has reached the finals at the French Open in the last two years but lost both times in straight sets (2022: Rafael Nadal, 2023: Djokovic), Zverev described his upcoming opponent as a "great player." However, when prompted about why the semifinal against the Norwegian wouldn't end in three sets like it did last year, Zverev replied, "I don't know if there will be a different outcome. We'll see that on Friday." Asked to assess the match, Zverev responded, "That were three questions." And with that, he ended the interview.
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Alexander Zverev aims to break his Grand Slam tournament drought against Casper Ruud in the French Open semifinals. Despite his history of three-set victories, Zverev acknowledges that tennis against Ruud at the French Open is never an easy Grand Slam tournaments encounter for 'Tennis' player Alexander Zverev.
