'I feel that I'm closer than ever': Alexander Zverev remains confident to win a Slam despite his latest results

Alexander Zverev has won the incredible amount of 24 career titles, yet the elusive Grand Slam trophy still evades him. The German star, currently 28, remains steadfast in his ambition to claim a major title, with his focus now shifting toward Roland Garros after a recent exti at the Hamburg Open. In Paris, Zverev will try to complete what he couldn't last year, when he fell short against Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Despite his long-standing presence among tennis' elite, Alexander Zverev revealed how he feels regarding the idea of retiring. In a candid conversation with Adidas, he opened up about the specific circumstances that would lead him to step away from the sport;
"I always said that I don't do this for the money. I do not do this to have benefits outside the court," Sascha explained.

"I actually play the sport because I really love it. I love to play it and I love to train. You know how much I like to train. The moment I stop enjoying it, I won’t play any more. I will not continue playing just for other reasons. I will continue playing because I really want to.”

Reflecting on his journey, Zverev shared that his confidence on his capabilities on the court began early in his career:

"At a young age when you are a kid you kind of just dream of those things. You don’t really have doubt in you. That only comes after. That comes with age, I feel like,” he said.

"I always thought I was going to be good, I always thought I was going to win tournaments. I never thought I am going to be top 100 or top 50. That was never my goal. That was never my thing that I wanted to achieve, my thing was that I want to be the best, and that’s it."

Although he has reached three Grand Slam finals in the past five years, including that runner-up finish last year in Paris, and another one this season in the Australian Open against Jannik Sinner.

“I think there’s one question mark I have, and that’s winning a slam, but even that, I do feel, honestly, that I am closer than ever and my level is better than it ever was,” he concluded.

For now, Zverev's passion remains as always, as he'll continue to pursue Major glory with another chance for the title at the French Open.