On the evening of June 5, Alexander Zverev defeated rising star from the Czech Republic, Jakub Mensik, in the semi-finals of Roland Garros. The number 2 seed of the tournament won after 4 sets with a score of 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Answering an interview after the match, when asked what he thought throughout the match, the German player said: "Completely empty. Almost nothing in my head. Honestly, we are athletes. Very few of us have any thoughts. So sometimes it's better to just be foolish and don't think too much".
Reacting to what the world No. 3 tennis player said, Argentine star Andrea Collarini criticized on Instagram: "This is not the first time he has said that. Reaching the Roland Garros final does not give him the right to speak for everyone. What an idiot. Come on Fla (for Cobolli)".
Flavio Cobolli is Zverev's opponent in the final on Sunday evening (June 7), after his Italian compatriot, Matteo Arnaldi, had to retire due to illness.
Zverev, 29, is rated higher in experience, but it seems he will lose in cheers after his statements, especially from colleagues and many fans.
Former French tennis player, Alize Cornet, said: "This statement is meaningless. Saying that athletes have nothing in their heads. Let him speak for himself, but don't equate us all. That is a great disrespect for tennis players and athletes.
This is the fourth time Zverev has reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament, the second time at the French Open. 3 times before, he lost to Dominic Thiem at US Open 2020, lost to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros 2024, lost to Jannik Sinner at Australian Open 2025.
At Wimbledon alone, Zverev has never made it past the fourth round.
Zverev competes for the Roland Garros 2026 championship with Cobolli at 8:00 p.m. on June 7.
