Zverev voices his frustration in a big setback.
Alexander Zverev suffers his second Grand Slam final loss. A pivotal moment comes from the umpire's decision. The German tennis star isn't dwelling on it.
After an intense "Gladiator fight," as tennis legend Boris Becker described the French Open final, Zverev lost. On the Court Philippe-Chatrier bench, the tennis player agonized over his feelings, much like he did with Carlos Alcaraz earlier. Alcaraz rapidly entered his box after the match point, while Zverev gazed without focus. With a score of 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 1-6, 2-6, Zverev lost his second Grand Slam final of his career.
In the US Open 2020 final, Zverev had already held the trophy: Up two sets, he had a two-set lead in the fifth set, requiring only two points to secure a magnificent victory. Then things went sour. Thiem triumphed, dealing Zverev a heavy loss. A loss that still stung, as Zverev recalled, because he felt he'd let victory slip away.
An expensive blunder
The Roland Garros 2024 defeat could also be frustrating beyond the sporting disappointment. Because there was a decisive moment in the fifth set: Zverev had broken early and worked his way into a chance to promptly re-break. He made use of it! Alcaraz had served his seventh double fault of the afternoon, with the line judge initially calling the second serve out.
Yet chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein overturned the ruling, granting Alcaraz two more serves and the chance to go from 1-3 in the fifth set to 2-1. Zverev couldn't recover. Particularly vexing: The Hawk Eye, which had replaced line judges at other major tournaments, demonstrated that the contentious ball was only just out.
Zverev displayed greatness after the match point and refused to blame the umpire or take anything away from his rival's victory: "In the end, it's a massive contrast whether you're down 1-3 in the fifth set or it's 2-2 and the match is still live. But it is what it is. Umpires are just humans - and they make mistakes." He also highlighted: "In situations like this, you hope there are no mistakes." It was a costly mistake for Zverev, as he could've regained control, the inexplicable force that makes winning seem easier.
The truth is, of course, that Alcaraz was the worthy winner that night, after their heated contest. Zverev admitted this unreservedly: "Carlos played better in the fourth and fifth sets. I think he deserved to win." At that level, Alcaraz was in a league of his own, physically dominating Zverev when it mattered most.
"During Zverev's match, which was the third five-set match in nine days for him, he lost steam, and Alcaraz kept pushing. It was an exhausting experience for Zverev, who'd played a grueling tournament. 'I gave it my all,' stated the Hamburg native. The Spaniard, who Zverev praised for his tactical mastery, was 'a beast, a relentless force. The intensity of his tennis game is unmatched by anyone else.'"
For Zverev, who'd injured himself during the French Open 2022 on the Philippe-Chatrier, with referee Lichtenstein present, the Roland Garros 2024 were a triumph despite the final defeat. He'd already shown he'd recovered his top form following his injury against Rafael Nadal in the previous edition's semifinal. But the tournament once more showed that Zverev, who had previously appeared to be losing faith in himself on the court, could rise above adversity.
"I've endured a lot during the last few years and months," he affirmed after his quarterfinal victory over Danish player Holger Rune. And it's hard to disagree, as it was often agonizing to witness the world-class player struggle through the early stages of major tournaments and in the rankings. And occasionally, he appeared to be giving up on himself.
"I need to come out on top, and then everything will fall into place. I'm not sure what else I can say." He spoke moments before the French Open last year, feeling like he was playing the worst tennis he had since 2015, 2016. However, there he made it to the semifinals, and now he's going even further. The - sorry for the language - "crap" is in the past, and a shot at the stars seems reachable. The Roland Garros final, this intense battle, didn't net him his initial Grand Slam victory. But it was progress, no additional trauma.
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Despite the expensive double fault call overturned by the umpire, leading to a decisive set switch, Zverev expressed his disappointment but refused to blame anyone, acknowledging Alcaraz's superior performance in the crucial moments.
The costly mistake during the match, allowing Alcaraz to break back and regain momentum, added to Zverev's frustration, as he missed an opportunity to reclaim control in the match.
