As Alexander Zverev, first-time Grand Slam champion lay on his back on the Philippe Chatrier after a four-hour 19-minute finale that was part-sizzle, part-fizzle, French TV went into a discussion titled Zverev: Enfin la consecration. Finally, the consecration.
The consecration of the 29-year-old world No.3 – he dipped his toes in the seniors in 2011 as a 14-year-old – with a pale Grand Slam record.
Before this French Open, he had made 41 Grand Slam main draws, reached seven semi-finals and three finals, where he was beaten in Australia, Roland Garros and US Open. As for Wimbledon, Zverev has not gone past the fourth round. This after being blessed with a physical frame made for tennis at 6ft 6inch, a powerful serve and groundstrokes of velocity. This after winning 25 tour titles, including two ATP Tour finals, and even Olympic Gold at Tokyo in 2021.
Close, but no cigar. Until this fortnight.
When the seeds were scattered to the winds in the first round, it became Zverev’s event for the taking. On Sunday it would take a fight to get past Italian Flavio Cobolli, whose game veered between the forces of light and the music halls of comedy.
In his victory speech, Zverev recalled lying “in that corner with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones”, referring to his 2022 semi-final withdrawal against Rafael Nadal. Cobolli said later that Zverev deserved his victory even more than he himself did – “for all that he’s done in his career.”
This is where the idea of consecration, as titled on French TV, is just the start of a slippery slope.
Summarising all that Zverev “has done in his career” must also include the profane rather than just consider him sanctified due to a Roland Garros title. It will venture into territory that makes tennis uncomfortable. And leads to many dark mutterings around the idea of Zverev’s name forever being attached to the tag of Grand Slam champion.
In the here and now, along with the multi-million dollar pay check, the social media fishbowl and a 24-hour news cycle, Zverev the player will always be accompanied by Zverev the man.
The man would love for the player – Grand Slam champion, popular amongst his countrymen and peers – to take over his persona. Yet the man carries a past under shadows and a personality that spins off it. What will always stay asterisked in Zverev’s career are the allegations of physical assault and domestic violence from two of his ex-girlfriends.
The first referred to incidents from the Laver Cup in October 2019 by fellow pro and Zverev’s then girlfriend Olya Sharypova. The allegations were made in articles in two separate publications in October 2020 and August 2021. Zverev denied them and obtained a court injunction against the article publication and sued reporter Ben Rothenberg for damages.
In late 2021, ATP was to set in motion an investigation into the allegations which lasted 15 months. In Jan 2023, ATP concluded that Zverev could not be punished due to insufficient evidence.
Six months later, the request for an order against ‘bodily harm’ was filed in a Berlin criminal court by Brenda Patea, Zverev’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his child. The proceedings moved towards a public trial before an out-of-court settlement in June 2024 brought an end to proceedings.
At the February 2022 Mexican Open in Acapulco, Zverev hit the umpire’s chair while protesting a line-call in a first round doubles match and was defaulted from the event.
This is the man that follows Zverev the player everywhere. During the prize ceremony after the 2025 Australian Open, Zverev was heckled by a woman in the crowd who shouted that Australia believed Olya and Brenda. When he was asked about the heckler at his press conference, Zverev’s response was, “I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for, what nine months now… I think I’ve done everything I can and I’m not about to open that subject again.”
The victory ceremony this time went through sans hecklers, even though it was Cobolli who had most of the crowd behind him and Zverev faced one round of booing for questioning a line call. A few hours later, with trophy in hand, as is custom, Zverev thanked his box, whom he said was, “the longest-lasting team than anyone in the world.”
Then he mentioned its newest entrant, a physiotherapist who has been with him for two weeks, and as the man punched the air, Zverev turned to him again with a smile. “Don’t ask for a bonus now or something like this… this is nothing to do with you.”
The humour behind the ‘nothing to do with you’ was lost somewhere in translation and Zverev’s joy over having his hand on the Coupe Mousquetaires and a Euro2.8m prize money cheque.
