The quotes of 2022, episode 12 – Zverev, on Alcaraz: “You beat us all and you are five years old”
To end 2022, Tennis Majors offers you a review, in chronological order and in series format, on the striking, inspiring or funny quotes of the year. The 12th episode: in front of the Madrid crowd, Alexander Zverev praises Carlos Alcaraz after beaten by the Spanish teen
Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz during the trophy presentation of the 2022 Madrid Open
Image Credit: AI/Reuters/Panoramic
“Right now you are the best player in the world even though you are still five years old – you are still beating us all! It’s great to see for tennis that we have such a new superstar who is going to win so many Grand Slams and is going to be world No 1. I think you are going to win this tournament many more times.”
May 8, 2022, Alexander Zverev is crushed 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and 2 minutes in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid. During the trophy presentation, he praises his conqueror: Carlos Alcaraz, still 18 years old, who had already defeated Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic earlier in the week.
A few months later, at the US Open, Alcaraz, nicknamed “Carlitos”, took the trophy and the top spot in the world rankings.
That confirmed (in part) the announcement of Zverev who had been somewhat duped by his crystal ball when predicting the identity of the top 3 players in 2022.
People in this post
More tennis news
August 28, 1995: The day Shuzo Matsuoka was defaulted after severe case of cramping
US Open 2026 women’s draw: Sabalenka’s three-peat bid, brutal bottom half
US Open men’s draw: Zverev’s path clears while Fils and Shelton block Alcaraz’s route
August 27, 1975: The day a very special US Open edition began, with clay and night sessions
Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik win US Open mixed doubles title, beating Bencic and Cobolli in final-set tiebreak thriller
