(Sydney) Gold medalist at the Tokyo Games, German tennis player Alexander Zverev said he was very impatient to defend his title at the Paris Olympics, a “very, very special” event in his eyes.
“The Olympic Games are always very, very special,” said Zverev, who is playing the United Cup tennis tournament with the German team in Sydney, on Friday evening.
“It’s probably the biggest event of the year, in my opinion, because the Olympics only take place every four years,” he added. “It’s definitely something I’m looking forward to, as the defending champion.”
“I can’t wait to go back to the Olympic Village again […] and live in these little apartments where we’re all together, having a good time. That’s what I did in Tokyo, and it worked pretty well,” continued Zverev, who beat Russian Karen Khachanov in the final in Tokyo, after eliminating Serbian Novak Djokovic in the semi-final.
“Last year, I came into the Australian Open openly saying that I wasn’t going for victory, which is generally not the way I approach tournaments,” Zverev also recalled, who was recovering a year ago from a serious injury suffered in the 2022 French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal.
“It’s behind me now. I am No.7 in the world, I won a few titles last year and I beat some big players too,” he commented. “I can show up claiming victory again, that’s what I’m aiming for,” he concluded.