“The same answer I gave two days ago”: Alexander Zverev hides from the favourite tag at Roland-Garros
Alexander Zverev has consistently refused to embrace the ‘favourite’ tag at Roland-Garros, despite a significantly open draw. Following his third-round win, the German star maintained his focus on one match at a time, deflecting questions about his chances to win the title.
Alexander Zverev, Roland-Garros 2026 | © Gepa / PsNewz
Three press conferences, three nearly identical answers. On Friday, after his third-round win over Quentin Halys, Alexander Zverev was asked whether he now saw himself as the favourite of Roland-Garros 2026 now that Novak Djokovic was out. “I know I’m playing De Jong tomorrow, who has won six matches here, and that’s my focus. That’s the only thing that I can control.”
On Sunday, after beating de Jong 7-6 6-4 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals, the question came again, in slightly different terms. More directly. Zverev was asked: “How do you feel the first time you are the top favorite of a slam tournament? It is the first time it happens. Don’t tell you that you didn’t think about, that doesn’t put you any pressure.”
This time, Zverev answered the question with one of his own. “Why don’t you just give the answer, then?” he said, smiling at the journalist. “No, I’ll give the same answer I gave two days ago. I’ll focus on the matches that are ahead of me. This is the only thing I can control. I focused on de Jong, I played a good match. I’m going to focus on Jódar next.”
Zverev : “I don’t have social media”
Zverev can control the rights he gives himself not to listen to the noise. Asked in Sunday’s press conference whether he had changed any of his habits to insulate himself from the climate around the tournament – less social media, fewer interviews – his answer was characteristically deflective, but the message was clear, “I’m not hearing”: “My phone is off, but it’s been off for, like, seven years during Grand Slams. I don’t have social media.”
The framing he is refusing is, by the arithmetic of the tournament, hard to argue with. Carlos Alcaraz did not start, withdrawn injured. Jannik Sinner was beaten in the second round by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo. Novak Djokovic was beaten in the third by João Fonseca, his first loss before the fourth round of a major since 2009. The top half of the draw has Félix Auger-Aliassime as the only top-ten seed left.
Sunday, Alexander Zverev has tied David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych for the most Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances without ever winning a title: 17.
Zverev’s path to the quarter-final is Rafael Jódar, the 19-year-old Spaniard ranked outside the top 100 at the start of the clay-court season. He has never won a Grand Slam. He is, by any plain reading of the bracket, the favourite to win one in seven days. He has spent five days declining to discuss it.
Zverev and Jodar in the same boat
Logically, the moment the questions turn to Jódar specifically, Zverev becomes engaged. “He was outside the top 100 at the start of the clay-court season, and now he’s top 20 after this week. He can accelerate the ball from both sides, which is incredibly special. A very aggressive player, very young, tremendous talent. I’m looking forward to our first meeting.”
Pressed on whether he remembered being the young player taking everything by storm – Jódar’s position, in other words – Zverev gave the only answer of his press conference that came close to naming what he is refusing to name.
“It’s a fun time for any player when you’re first coming up, because you’ve got no pressure. You play freely. You experience all these big things for the first time. It’s a lot of fun to be in that position. But I think it’s also fun to be in the position I’m in, where I’ve been at this level for ten years, I play my matches, I know how to handle certain situations.” But, as far as we know, Zverev has never been the favourite at a Grand Slam before. In a way, he and Jódar are in the same boat, about to live what neither of them has ever experienced.
