‘I tried everything I could,’ says French Open runner-up Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev (27) acknowledged that Carlos Alcaraz (21) was a deserving winner of the French Open on Sunday after the German saw another opportunity for his first Grand Slam title slip away. Zverev, playing in his second major final following the 2020 US Open, initially led by two sets to one before Alcaraz mounted a comeback to secure a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory.

“I felt like this Grand Slam final I did everything I could,” said Zverev, who had also lost a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the US Open final four years ago. “At the US Open, I kind of gave it away myself. It’s a bit different.”

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Just two days before the final, Zverev had settled a court case in Germany over domestic abuse allegations. Despite this distraction, he entered the Roland Garros final on a 12-match winning streak, having won the title in Rome the previous month.

Zverev appeared poised to finally capture a Grand Slam title after rallying from 5-2 down to win the third set, putting him within one set of victory. However, Alcaraz had other plans, winning 12 of the final 15 games to clinch the title. The 21-year-old Spaniard’s triumph marked his third Grand Slam title, making him the youngest man to win on clay, grass, and hard courts.

“He played fantastic. He played better than me in the fourth and fifth set,” Zverev conceded. “He’s a beast. He’s an animal, for sure. The intensity he plays tennis at is different from other people.”

A pivotal moment occurred in the fifth set when Alcaraz appeared to have double-faulted while facing two break points at 2-1. The chair umpire overruled the line judge’s out call, much to Zverev’s dismay, and Hawkeye replays later showed the ball was indeed out. Alcaraz went on to hold serve, which proved to be a turning point in the match.

“There’s a difference whether you’re down 3-1 in the fifth set or you’re back to 2-all. That’s a deciding difference,” Zverev said. “It’s frustrating in the end, but it is what it is. Umpires make mistakes. They’re also human, and that’s okay. But of course in a situation like that, you wish there wouldn’t be mistakes.”

Zverev’s journey to the final and the subsequent loss highlight the highs and lows of his career. Despite the setback, he remains one of the sport’s top competitors, continually striving for his first Grand Slam victory.