Alexander Zverev is savouring the moment. Four days after his historic victory at Roland Garros, the first major title of his career, the German has opened up about his first week as a Grand Slam champion. Among the hundreds of messages he received, one stood out: a text from Rafael Nadal.
"I received hundreds of messages, but Rafa's touched me the most," Zverev told the ATP in a feature interview. The fourteen-time Roland Garros champion sent his congratulations shortly after match point, a symbolic gesture from the king of clay to the man who just carved his name into the Parisian roll of honour.
On Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev had overcome Flavio Cobolli in five sets (6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1) in an exhausting final. The German collapsed in tears on the clay when the Italian missed an overhead on the second championship point. He became the first German man to win a Grand Slam since Boris Becker and the first player to claim his maiden major at Roland Garros since Nadal in 2005.
But the page is already turning. Zverev has opted to skip the tournament, choosing rest over competition. "I won't practise for a couple of days, but I have to go back to Germany," he explained. "I have media duties, and then on Thursday I'll be in practising already."
The Terra Wortmann Open in Halle (June 15-21), an ATP 500 on grass, will be his sole warm-up before (June 29 to July 12). A tight schedule for a player who has never gone beyond the fourth round at the All England Club, but who arrives with confidence at an all-time high.
At 29, Zverev has become the fourth-richest player in tennis history, surpassing Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray, and in career earnings. The champion now has three weeks to convert Parisian momentum into results on grass.
