Rome champion Alexander Zverev eyes French Open but wary of Novak Djokovic ‘at his best’
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Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Chile's Nicolas Jarry.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ROME – Alexander Zverev is gunning for the French Open after winning his second Italian Open title on May 19, but warned of the ever-present danger posed by defending Roland Garros champion, Novak Djokovic.
World No. 4 Zverev, also Foro Italico champion in 2017, comfortably won his sixth Masters 1000 title by beating Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 7-5 and is eyeing glory at the Paris clay-court Grand Slam, which gets underway on May 26.
Zverev has endured a bittersweet relationship with Roland Garros. In the 2022 semi-finals, he suffered an awful ankle injury and was forced to quit, allowing Rafael Nadal to reach the final and win his 22nd Grand Slam.
“It’s always the tournament that I mark down in my calendar,” Zverev said. “This year there’s no exception. That’s the one that I want to win, the one that I look for the most maybe throughout the year. I’m going to do everything I can this year.”
He claimed his first title of 2024 and first since winning at Chengdu in September at the end of an unusual men’s Rome tournament in which a host of top names were either eliminated early or dropped out before the start of the event.
Six-time Rome champion Djokovic was dumped out in the third round by Zverev’s semi-final opponent, Alejandro Tabilo.
Daniil Medvedev, winner in 2023, was stopped in the last 16 while Italian world No. 2 Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz missed the tournament with injury.
“Nole (Djokovic) is going to be at his best. You’ll see. It’s just the way it is,” warned Zverev of the Serb, a three-time French Open champion who accepted a Geneva Open wild card and will play at the ATP 250 tournament this week.
“The other two (Sinner and Alcaraz), they just depend on health. If they’re healthy, they’re two of the best players in the world.”
Zverev succeeded in his 11th Masters final, which equalled Boris Becker’s record for the most by a German since the series began in 1990.
His title in the Italian capital seven years ago was the first of his career at this level and the one on May 19 was his first since coming back from his ankle injury lay-off.
“It’s all about finding your rhythm. I’m happy that I did it here right before Roland Garros,” said Zverev.
“Hopefully I can take it into Roland Garros and play some of my best tennis there, as well.” AFP
