One week before Roland-Garros, it is difficult to discern a clear favorite in the men’s draw. While the master of the place Rafael Nadal casts doubt on his participation, the world number 1, Novak Djokovic, is short of trophies, when the young big names Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner suffer a series of injuries or the ex-finalists Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas lack consistency. In this ocean of uncertainties, the German Alexander Zverev could well play spoilsport at Porte d’Auteuil.
Sunday May 19, the 5th in the world (he will be 4th on Monday) won the Rome tournament for the second time in his career, against the Chilean Nicolas Jarry (6-4, 7-5), for whom it was the first final of this scale. The German also pockets a sixth Masters 1000 – the fourth on clay –, his offensive style also suited to fast surfaces. It’s also difficult to believe that it was ocher that was under the shoes of the two players this Sunday, as Zverev gave his opponent no chance, conceding five points on serve over the entire match.
“It’s a special fortnight for me, it’s in Rome that I won my first Masters 1000 [in 2017] and that’s where I won my first Masters 1000 since my injury. It was a difficult two years, I didn’t know if I was going to get back to that level,” Zverev said after the match. Enough to exorcise – perhaps – definitively the ghosts of this famous injury, which occurred at Roland-Garros in 2022. In the process of waging an extraordinary battle in the semi-final against Rafael Nadal, the German had blocked his ankle and had to give up at the end of the second set. A fall which had deprived him of a potential exploit, then long months of competition.
It now remains to be seen whether Alexander Zverev will manage to convert this confidence into a title at Roland Garros, he who is still chasing a first trophy in a Grand Slam tournament. It will also be necessary to know in what state of mind the world number 5 will appear in Paris when he will be judged from May 31 for “assault” against a former partner. Hearings expected to continue until July. At the end of 2023, the Berlin district court imposed a fine of 450,000 euros on him.
