Alexander Zverev slams the Olympic village
Sascha said he had been feeling unwell during the Olympic week
The Olympic tennis tournament ended on Sunday with Novak Djokovic’s victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal final. The young Spaniard was the big favourite to win at the French Open, but the Serbian has pulled off an incredible performance that allowed him to achieve the biggest dream of his legendary career.
The Olympic tournament gave lots of emotions and show, with the evocative scenery of Paris that made the show even more exciting. Playing in a historic place for tennis has increased the spectacle and determination of players, although he was missing world number 1 Jannik Sinner due to a tonsillitis.
We expected a better result from Alexander Zverev, who won the gold medal in Tokyo three years ago and reached the final at the French Open a couple of months ago. His run came to a halt in the quarterfinals against a great Lorenzo Musetti, who played perhaps the best tennis of his career. The German was put in great difficulty by the variety of the young Italian, who has deactivated the power of his opponent and often put him in uncomfortable areas of the court. Sascha said he had been feeling unwell during the Olympic week due to an unknown virus.
Sascha on the Olympic village
As fans know, many athletes complained about the conditions inside the Olympic village during this edition of the Games. Speaking with Tennis Channel, Alexander Zverev commented on the Olympic village in Paris: “I preferred Tokyo because I prefer to win gold, of course, but it’s always special to be in the Olympics. This year it was strange because it was in Roland Garros, a place we all know very well. But at the same time, it was very different.
The Olympic village wasn’t the best, I have to say. I stayed there, the whole German team stayed there, our federation wanted it. We suffered a little because of food, we suffered a little from sleeping conditions. There was no air conditioning in the rooms either, which was a bit difficult for me but it was the same for everyone so I don’t complain. Because of that, I think Tokyo was much better and the organization was also much better. Nevertheless, it was a great experience to be there with all the athletes and it was nice to be back in the Olympic village. But the win is always the most fun part and this time I didn’t get it.”
Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev© Clive Brunskill / Staff Getty Images Sport
Sascha is one of the main favorites for the victory at the Masters 1000 in Montreal, also due to the absences of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. The German ace revealed that he had not been feeling well in recent weeks: “Two weeks ago in Hamburg I realised that something was wrong with me. I got tired very, very quickly. The training in Paris was not very intense either because I always got tired very quickly and needed longer breaks.
In the second round I couldn’t take it anymore after one set and today I had the same feeling. I have to clarify that. It’s time to see what’s happening and get back to the best form I had a few weeks ago. If there is a problem with your sugar level, you feel that you are going slower and you don’t feel like exercising. Here I feel dizzy and I see four balls coming towards me. I feel like I can’t do anything anymore.”
Zverev wants to win the US Open
Zverev reached the final at the French Open this year, but was defeated by Alcaraz in five sets after a great battle. Sascha had a great chance at the French Open, but he had to admit the superiority of Carlitos: “We are both physically strong but he’s a beast, he’s an animal for sure and the intensity that he plays tennis is different to that of other people. He can do so many different things. He changed his tactic a lot in the fifth set. So I had to play a lot higher, a lot deeper for me to not create as much power, especially with the shadows on the court.”
Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev© Getty Images Sport – Matthew Stockman
The German seemed to be doing well at the Wimbledon Championships – where he was playing a great tennis game – before a knee injury limited him during the match against the American Fritz. The German champion will certainly be one of the favorites at the US Open, the last Slam of 2024, which will take place in New York at the end of August. Last year, Sascha reached the quarterfinals losing to Alcaraz after beating Jannik Sinner in the round of 16.
