Alexander Zverev Reflects on Novak Djokovic’s Mastery After French Open 2025 Defeat
Following his 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 loss to Novak Djokovic in the French Open 2025 quarter-finals on June 4, Alexander Zverev opened up about the Serbian’s relentless brilliance, admitting, “You expect this from Novak Djokovic.” In his post-match press conference, reported by ATP Tour, Zverev expressed admiration for Djokovic’s ability to find solutions, saying, “He was finding solutions to a lot of things I was throwing at him. So that’s credit to him.” Zverev highlighted Djokovic’s tactical shift after a strong first set, where the German led with a 2-0 break and 80% first-serve points won, per Infosys Stats. “I expected him to play at this high level. He’s won 24 of these things,” Zverev noted, referencing Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam titles, per The Tennis Letter on X.
Zverev, who felt the cold, windy conditions and pesky flies disrupted his baseline game, admitted, “When it got really cold, I couldn’t do much. I felt like I didn’t know how to win a point from the baseline against him.” Djokovic’s 35 drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics, as detailed by The Athletic, exposed Zverev’s passive play, with the Serb winning a pivotal 41-shot rally to secure a 4-2 lead in the fourth set. Despite the loss, Zverev praised Djokovic’s underrated form, stating, “People count him out, but he’s had wins over Alcaraz and me this year. Forget the age—he’s still up there,” per ATP Tour.[]
The defeat, Zverev’s third in a major quarter-final or beyond in 2025, prompted reflection on his need for a more aggressive approach, echoing Boris Becker’s critique on Eurosport that Zverev must evolve offensively to compete with Sinner and Alcaraz. Zverev, who earned €415,000, remains optimistic, telling Tennis.com, “I’ll keep fighting for that first Slam,” as he looks to the grass season.
