Alexander Zverev slammed for ‘lack of respect’ after making the Roland Garros final
Alexander Zverev might have secured his place in the 2026 Roland Garros final, but his post-match interview has not gone down well at all with former pro Alize Cornet.
Speaking to Alex Corretja following his four set victory against Jakub Mensik in the semi-final, Zverev opened up about dealing with the pressure of performing on the big stages.
The German conceded that he was able to block his mind out because of his lack of intelligence, but he grouped all athletes together in his claim.
“It’s a blank. I try to completely empty my head and not think about anything,” he said in his post-match interview. “Honestly, we’re athletes, but very few of us have anything in our heads anyway (laughs). Sometimes it’s easier to just be silly and not think too much.”
While Zverev’s comments might seem harmless enough, Cornet was not very happy with them while watching along for French TV.
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Responding to Zverev’s claim, she said: “The pointlessness of this statement, I’m stunned, actually. To say that athletes have nothing between their ears… Okay, he’s speaking for himself, but we’re all in the same boat.
“Seriously, it’s crazy when you think about it, to say that on centre court. It’s such a lack of respect for the players, for the athletes… I’m calming down, I’m calming down. If he meant to be funny, it wasn’t.”
Zverev has been frank with the press during his run to the Roland Garros final, presumably because he doesn’t want to build pressure upon himself.
The star has been the overwhelming favourite to lift the title for much of the tournament following Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s early exits.
Zverev said he didn’t care about reaching the semi-finals and he’s continued to be aloof with the press as he has made his way through the competition.
Cornet might not like his tactics, but it has certainly worked for Zverev as he has largely breezed through his competitors in Paris.
He has dropped just two sets all tournament en route to the final and he has easily been one of the best players in the men’s draw this Roland Garros.
Zverev has beaten Mensik, Rafael Jodar, Jesper de Jong, Quentin Halys, Tomas Machac, and Benjamin Bonzi to reach the Roland Garros final for the second time in his career.
He has become the first player to reach a Grand Slam final without facing an ATP top 20 opponent since he achieved the same feat at the US Open in 2020.
