Zverev reveals if he would trade his Olympic gold medal for winning a Grand Slam

Pedro de Pablos | 2 Jun 2026 | 18.28

Zverev reveals whether he would exchange his Olympic gold medal for winning a Grand Slam

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Alexander Zverev has shown his best level to eliminate Rafa Jódar in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and advance to his fifth semifinal in Paris. Later, the German tennis player attended a press conference, where he talked about the possibility of winning his first Grand Slam and was asked if he would trade his Olympic gold medal for a major.

Because yes, perhaps many do not remember, but Zverev won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. An achievement that elevated him to the top of the tennis world, and that he would not exchange for anything in the world. It doesn't matter that he hasn't won any Grand Slam yet, as for him, there is nothing like an Olympic gold medal, due to its exclusivity and the difficulty of winning it with only one opportunity every four years.

Press conference of Zverev after defeating Jódar at Roland Garros 2026

Comeback in the first set

The conditions were very different today. I had to find my rhythm. He was playing much better than me at the beginning, because I think he found his rhythm much faster than I did. But once I did, I felt very good and I felt it was a good match for me. At the start, I played more defensively than him. I tried to play with a lot of spin, as I had done in the previous days, but it wasn't working today. He had an incredible rhythm at the beginning, and I didn't. And when that changed a bit, I think I played a good match.

The emergence of the new generations

We have a good group of young players who play fantastic tennis. For me, it doesn't matter. I focus on the next match, on the things I can control. We have fantastic young players, but I have to trust myself, my game, and focus on my work.

Three Italians in the quarterfinals and potential clash against Fonseca

The one I know the most is Matteo. For me, Matteo always has the level, so I'm not surprised he has regained his form. Probably the one that surprises me the most is Arnaldi. In terms of ranking and what he has achieved in the past.
We know the potential of Cobolli, and we know Berrettini is a great Grand Slam finalist. He can play wonderful tennis. If we talk about surprises, probably Arnaldi. But, again, he is an incredible tennis player. The draw opened up a lot in the top half. I think in the bottom half, less so. Of course, with Joao Fonseca and Djokovic, it happened, but everything else is normal in the lower half. Who would I like to play against? I don't mind, to be honest.

Trading the gold medal for a Grand Slam

There's no chance of that. The gold medal, for me, is the hardest to win because you have one opportunity every four years. It is very special because few have achieved it. Also, you do it for your country, for the people back home, so I will never exchange my gold medal for anything. But I don't mind adding a few things to my list.

Knowing when to choose each shot

As you grow, as you become physically stronger, you automatically have more weapons. And those weapons suddenly surprise you a bit. You know you can hit at 100 kilometers per hour, or serve at 220, which maybe you couldn't do a year ago. Sometimes you want to use that all the time, and it takes time on the tour for you to realize that you don't always have to do it. It also depends on what state the opponent is in.

There's also a point where you realize that players being afraid of your power means you don't have to use it all the time. I think that's where Roger was probably the best at changing things. Sometimes when he played incredibly well, you felt like you didn't know how to play after a couple of games because he was disrupting your game.

Key to reaching the final

For me, it's quite simple, I have to play well. I've said before that I believe I have to trust my game, my tennis, and myself. And if I play well, I think that's 99% of the work.

Being the favorite to win the tournament

As I said before, I don't care. I focus on the next match and the opponents. That's the only thing I can control. And if I win those matches, that's great.

What he has learned from Jódar

That he can apply great pressure from both sides. I knew it before, but now I have felt it for the first time. He can also do a lot when it comes to defense and accelerating very quickly. He has a very fast arm... I knew it before, but now I have felt it.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev desvela si cambiaría su medalla de oro en los Juegos Olímpicos por ganar un Grand Slam

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