‘All experts saw other guys being better than me’, says Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev has claimed that “all tennis experts and ex-players” expected other players to be better than him, after his Olympic triumph.
The German suggested he has proven anyone who predicted other players of his generation to have better careers than him wrong by listing his impressive achievements.
The world number five defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov in straight sets in the men’s singles gold medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.
“All the tennis experts and ex-players, they always saw other guys being better than me. I now have 16 tournament wins, four Masters 1000 wins, the ATP Finals, and a gold medal,” Zverev said in a press conference.
World number 25 and silver medallist Khachanov praised the 24-year-old’s performance in the 6-3, 6-1 victory against him.
“He (Zverev) played from the beginning to the end an unbelievable match,” the Russian said in a post-match interview.
“I also played an outstanding match from my point of view, but he was just better today – all credit to him. I was dreaming of gold, but I’ll give it a try at the next Olympics.”
- Join the tennishead CLUB and receive £250/$350 of FREE GEAR including ASICS Gel-Resolution 8 trainers, shorts, shirt & socks
- Keep up to date with the breaking news & tennis action at our tennis news section
- Win amazing prizes by entering our competitions
- Learn more about your favourite players including Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic
- Check out the latest tennis equipment with our tennis gear reviews
- Receive regular updates in our legendary free newsletter
- Read in depth features with stunning photography in tennishead magazine
- Can’t visit the tournaments you love? Check out our guide on how to watch tennis on TV
- Don’t miss a thing with our Live Scores service
- Follow tennishead on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube
- EXCLUSIVE 5% DISCOUNT for all tennishead readers on tennis rackets, balls, clothing, shoes & accessories with All Things Tennis, our dedicated tennis gear partner