Honoring Greatness: Alexander Zverev Receives a Hall of Fame Induction…
After falling to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set classic in Sunday’s French Open final, Alexander Zverev called the Spaniard a future member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Alcaraz defeated Philippe-Chatrier 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 to win his third major championship and first at Roland Garros.
When Zverev led 2-1, it appeared as though the 21-year-old would lose; the German’s aggressive play let him to control the match from the baseline, but in the fourth set, the Spaniard found his serenity again.
Alcaraz leveled the match and then won two breaks in the decider to become the second French Open champion after Rafael Nadal.
He is the youngest player in the Open Era to win men’s singles titles at three different grand slams, having turned 21 years old and 35 days ago.
In addition, he has required the fewest major appearances (13) of any male player in the Open Era to win grand slam championships on hard, clay, and grass courts.
“Three separate ones, you won. At just 21 years old, you have already achieved Hall of Fame status.”
While this was going on, Alcaraz expressed gratitude to his support system for helping him get past a bothersome forearm ailment that kept him out of the Italian Open.
My crew has performed admirably throughout the past month. We were having a lot of trouble with the injury. I did not feel good when I got back from Madrid,” he remarked.
“I am appreciative of my current team. I am aware that every member of my team is working tirelessly to support my growth. Although we are a team, we really are a family.
“Having some of my family here has been wonderful. Thank you very much; I used to watch this competition on TV and now I am holding the trophy.
