Zverev: "I want to keep playing for another ten years"

Iker Jiménez | 12 Jun 2026 | 09.17

Zverev: "I want to keep playing for another ten years". Source: Getty

Streaming ATP Stuttgart live tennis

🎾 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Alexander Bublik

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

Alexander Zverev already has the big title he had been pursuing for years. The German conquered Roland Garros and, just a few days later, granted a great interview to BILD after being crowned champion in Paris. A conversation in which he recalls the emotions of victory, the pressure he felt during the tournament, his family, his physical problems, and his great future goals.

The Hamburg native acknowledges that the path to lifting the Copa de los Mosqueteros was not easy. He admits that the elimination of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic generated enormous pressure, talks about the crucial role his father and team played, and reveals that, far from relaxing after reaching his big goal, he maintains the excitement to continue making history on the circuit.

Zverev reveals the most special moment after winning Roland Garros

"When I had the trophy in my hands for the first time. It was the moment I had been searching and waiting for years. Being able to finally touch it was the most beautiful thing. And then being able to give it to my father, my mother, and my brother. That is what is truly special.

I was clear that the first one to go to was my father. He is the one I have worked with the most. But the rest of the team has also been with me for years. My physical trainer has been by my side since 2014, Sergey Bubka has been my agent for many years, and only the physiotherapist is new. After two weeks, he had a spectacular debut. And my brother is my brother. My best friend. My grandmother was also there. It was very beautiful."

The celebration in Paris and the gift from his partner

"It was incredible. I don't remember what happened, but it was beautiful. Just kidding! I remember everything. Everyone was in a great mood and things got a bit crazy, as they should. I knew he had bought it. He arrived at night and left again in the morning, so I only got to see him for a few hours. We left Mishka, our other dog, and Buba with my mother. She told me they hadn't slept a second because the two dogs, who are also brothers, were playing all night. They get along very well."

Zverev's message for people with diabetes

"It's a sign for parents and children out there that with diabetes, you can achieve anything. I have spoken about it many times, but now I have demonstrated it. Talking is one thing, showing it is another. I have this condition and now there is someone they can look at and who has lived through all of this."

"I want to keep playing for another ten years"

"I enjoy working. I like going to the gym. If I were to quit tennis today, I would still keep training because I love it. Yes, winning this title was a huge motivation, but it wasn't the reason I worked so hard. I enjoy doing it. If I don't train, I don't feel good. That doesn't mean I will win Wimbledon in a few weeks, but I certainly won't stop working or lose the desire to train. I want to keep playing for another ten years. I have already achieved the Grand Slam goal, and all that is left is to be number one in the world. Even if it's just for a week. It would be nice. Although with the competition there is, it will be very difficult."

The pressure of being the favorite in Paris

"The idea of taking it one match at a time and focusing only on what was within my control I kept telling myself. Even if I turned off my phone and didn't read anything, eventually you find out that they have fallen. That made me nervous. There was a night where I couldn't sleep. Suddenly, I was the last of the three big favorites still in the tournament. I felt it was my big opportunity to win the first Grand Slam, an opportunity I could and perhaps should seize. It was a week of a lot of stress and pressure. At some moments, I felt uncomfortable, but I managed it very well.

You know that Alcaraz is injured and that Novak has barely played. You know that in the last few months, you have been the best player behind Sinner. That makes you nervous. Against Quentin Halys, in the third round, I didn't play well, but I survived and from there I felt like a new tournament was starting for me."

His grandmother Natalia in the stands

"When I was four or five years old, she would always come from Sochi to visit us. My mother was giving tennis lessons and we were playing next to her. She had been a champion in the USSR. I always look at my father or the statistics my brother shows me. But after each match, many people spoke to me about that precisely. We are even trying to get her to come and live with us permanently, although with a Russian passport, it's not easy, even if her grandson is named Alexander Zverev."

The messages from Nadal and Djokovic

"I still have 1,576 messages unanswered. I have been replying for three days, and I will still need a few more. I want to reply to everyone. The most unexpected was the call from the Federal Chancellor. It was a great honor. I don't know him personally. I also received very nice messages, like the one from Novak or a very long one from Rafa Nadal that I loved. Dirk Nowitzki even texted me during the match, as did Toni Kroos, Joshua Kimmich, and Mats Hummels."

The role of his father

"The issue of the coach was never on the table for me. Mayla makes me happy, but that doesn't mean I am going to dismiss my team. I am not that kind of person. When everything goes well, it is wonderful, but if three months later things don't go well, should I fire everyone? Sometimes you also have to take responsibility. Last year I had back problems and bone edema due to a metabolic disorder. That was why I played with pain; I couldn't train properly and lost form. From Australia to Vienna, I was far from my level. In Shanghai, I started to address those issues, and gradually I felt better. That's why I started playing well again. Even if I had Boris Becker sitting next to me, I couldn't have worked miracles with an injured player."

His visits to Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt

"In December, he gave me a lot of injections. Perhaps not 70, but definitely around 60. Thanks to him, I was able to play this year without pain. After the Rome Masters, I saw him again and he gave me another 40. So, of course, he played a significant role in this title, and he helped me a lot."

His daughter Mayla, a big tennis fan

"She was on the phone, and the mobile was on my lap during the press conference, where the trophy was also there. She heard absolutely everything. In Acapulco, she had an incredible time. Sergey Bubka's son was also there, and they were dancing and having fun. She is increasingly enjoying this world. She has a lot of talent. If she wants to, of course. She already plays a bit, and she is left-handed. I could send her to my brother, who is also left-handed. Although he would destroy her forehand" (laughs). "I won't let him work on that. She will now come to the Halle tournament."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev: "Quiero seguir jugando otros diez años"

Alexander Zverev