“Indescribable feelings”: Gold as the starting signal for Zverev?

Updated on August 1st, 2021, 4:00 p.m.

• Alexander Zverev wins gold and speaks of “indescribable feelings”.
• The gold medal could also improve its image in Germany, which has suffered a lot due to a few mistakes in the past.
• Olympic gold could be the final starting signal for the hunt for the Grand Slam title for the 24-year-old.

You can find out more about the 2021 Olympics here

Alexander “Sascha” Zverev sank to his knees in disbelief. A few moments earlier, the native of Hamburg had beaten the Russian Kharen Khachanov 6: 3 and 6: 1 and won Olympic gold.

It is probably the greatest success in the career of the 24-year-old, who has been a top player for years, but has so far not been able to boast in the Grand Slams. “These are indescribable feelings. I played for all of Germany,” said a visibly agitated Zverev on “ZDF” after his gold coup.

Everything was different for the German at the Olympics from the start. Together with the other German players, he lived in a kind of flat share in the Olympic Village and felt the special spirit of the Olympic Games there, even if they take place in Tokyo without spectators. “The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world. The tennis players who have never been to the Olympics and say the Olympics are not important – they have to go to the Olympics once, then they will see it differently,” said the world ranking list- Fifth.

Zverev: “Games for everyone who is here in the village”

It was also sporty: Zverev marched into the semifinals without losing a set. There, Novak Djokovic was waiting for the greatest challenge ever in tennis. But the German put the Serbian dominator in their place in three sentences, after a remarkable race to catch up. “I know that I don’t just play for myself or my family, but for everyone who is here in the village,” he said, explaining the importance of success on top of the world rankings.

But not only in the Olympic village, but also in the home almost 9,000 kilometers away, Zverev has caused a lot of positive excitement in the past few days, which should now culminate with the first German gold medal in tennis singles.

Because in his homeland, Germans who have adopted Monte Carlo as their adopted home, have a difficult image. Missteps in dealing with the corona pandemic or allegations of domestic violence by his former girlfriend, who denied Zverev, and a child with ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, to whom he has no connection, are probably three big reasons for the difficult relationship between Zverev and his German homeland.

Zverev must also prove maturity outside the field

With the Olympic gold he could now polish up his image with his compatriots, even if success alone will not be enough. Even outside the field, Zverev will need to prove his maturity in the future if he wants to be one of Germany’s most popular athletes, like Steffi Graf during her active days.

An episode from the tournament in Madrid earlier this year underscores the fact that this topic is not unimportant to him. There Zverev was amazed after his tournament victory about the lack of questions from Germany in the context of a virtual press conference. “As you can see, the Germans really don’t care,” he said and left the PK with the trophy in hand.

His popularity ratings in Germany could well increase, after all, the Hamburger is the first male DTB player to triumph individually at the Olympic Games. Previously, only Steffi Graf had succeeded in this in 1988. DTB legends like Boris Becker, Michael Stich and Tommy Haas were denied a gold medal in the Olympic singles during their career. Icons like Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic cannot show such success either.

Brother Mischa declares Olympic success

But why was Zverev so triumphant at the Olympics, while he has so far only participated in the finals in Grand Slam tournaments and is still waiting for the big hit? “He plays a Grand Slam for himself and gets nervous. He plays the Olympics for the country and doesn’t get nervous. He gets bigger, he gets stronger, he becomes a lion,” said Zverev’s older brother Mischa at “Eurosport” a possible explanation. The 24-year-old Zverev showed a determination and conviction in the days of Tokyo that he has not yet seen in this constancy.

This Tokyo gold could now give Zverev an enormous push not only in terms of image but also in terms of sport. “The Olympics is one of the toughest competitions to win, I think the toughest,” he said of the importance of the Olympic tennis tournament. With this success in the back, coupled with the boost for his self-confidence, the Monegasque by choice can now do everything in the following tasks. Last year he was in the final of the upcoming US Open, but was defeated by Dominic Thiem. He could now wipe out this notch and experience two historic moments within a few weeks.

In retrospect, Olympic gold could have been the starting point for Zverev’s hunt for the Grand Slam title.

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