Alexander Zverev suggests when he plans to retire from tennis now he’s won a Grand Slam
Alexander Zverev hit a major career milestone by claiming the first Grand Slam title of his career at Roland Garros, but he shows no signs of slowing down at all.
The German had lost three previous Grand Slam finals before his 2026 Roland Garros triumph, and he was often dubbed one of the best players in tennis history not to claim a major.
The World No. 3’s victory against Flavio Cobolli in the final saw him end his long-awaited hunt for a major, but the German still has plenty of goals to keep him occupied in his career.
In an exclusive interview with German publication BILD, Zverev said: “I enjoy working out. I like going to the gym. If I quit tennis today, I’d still train because I love it. Yes, winning this title was a huge motivation, but it wasn’t the reason I was working so hard.
“I enjoy doing it. If I don’t train, I don’t feel good. That doesn’t mean I’m going to win Wimbledon in a few weeks, but I certainly won’t stop working or losing my desire to train.”
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The World No. 3 then suggested he plans to play for at least another decade, before confirming the big goal he still wants to achieve in the sport.
“I want to keep playing for another ten years,” he said. “I’ve already achieved the Grand Slam goal, and the only thing I’m missing is being number one in the world. Even if it’s just for a week. That would be nice. Although with the competition there is, it will be very difficult.”
Zverev is currently 29-years-old, so if he continues to play for another decade as he stated, that would take him up to the same age as Novak Djokovic is now.
At 39-years-old, Djokovic has proved he can still hang with the best on the ATP Tour, so Zverev will be looking to emulate the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic won two ATP titles last year, in Geneva and Athens, and he kickstarted his 2026 season by defeating Jannik Sinner en route to the Australian Open final, where he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serbian plays on a reduced schedule, which is something Zverev might have to adopt, but the German has undoubtedly been given the blueprint by Djokovic.
Players have far more longevity now at the top of the sport, with Stan Wawrinka still plying his trade on the ATP Tour at the age of 41, although he is set to retire at the end of the year.
