Alexander Zverev recognises French Open boost after Alcaraz withdrawal, but says it’s ‘sad for tennis’
Alexander Zverev believes the upcoming French Open presents a greater opportunity for him following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal, but insists the Spaniard’s absence is still ‘sad for tennis.’
Alcaraz sent shockwaves through the tennis world on Friday after announcing he would miss both the Italian Open and the French Open due to a wrist injury.
The world No 2 was the defending champion at both events, meaning he stands to lose 3,000 ranking points – an advantage for Zverev, who sits directly behind him in the rankings.
Alcaraz did not provide a return date, reiterating that his comeback will depend on how quickly his wrist heals.
He is also due to defend his title at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s – worth 500 ranking points – as well as his run to the Wimbledon final.
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Jannik Sinner speaks out about Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘very sad’ French Open withdrawal
“It’s sad, sad for tennis,” stated the three-time Grand Slam champion.
“But as he said himself, he’s still very young and has a long career ahead, so that has to be his priority. It’s never good when top players miss big tournaments.
“We need him, tennis is more exciting when he’s playing.
“Sometimes people say players are happy when others are out, but that’s not true. I’ve been in that situation myself – injured and unable to play big events – and it’s not a good feeling.
“I wish him a very speedy recovery.
“Hopefully he’ll be back sooner than expected and can still think about Roland Garros. If not, I hope to see him fully fit for the grass-court season.”
Zverev’s most recent Grand Slam match ended in a heartbreaking 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 defeat to Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where the German had served for the match.
Their previous Grand Slam meeting came in the 2024 French Open final, which Zverev again lost in five sets.
While Zverev acknowledged that Alcaraz’s absence presents a greater opportunity at Roland Garros, he stressed that this is the ‘wrong way to look at it’, adding that tournaments are better when all top players are present.
“Yes, but that’s the wrong way to look at it,” the German replied when asked if the world No 2’s withdrawal improves his French Open chances.
“To win a Grand Slam, you have to beat the best in the world. In recent months, Jannik Sinner has been the best player and still is, so he’s the big favourite.
“But I don’t want anyone to be absent. I’ll compete the same way and try to win, but it’s better when everyone is there.”
Zverev’s comments came after a rollercoaster 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Argentine Mariano Navone in the second round of the Madrid Open.
It was the German’s first match since a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Flavio Cobolli in the semi-finals of Munich, where he was the defending champion.
“There were ups and downs,” he said after the win against Navone.
“The good moments were very high – like the first set, which was almost perfect – and the bad ones were quite low, like the start of the second set.
“I lost a bit of concentration, but there are positives. I felt like I was serving extremely well, especially in the first set. In the end, I found my rhythm again and won in three sets, which is what matters most.”
Zverev will next face Frenchman Terence Atmane, who defeated compatriot Ugo Humbert.
