Kohlschreiber on Zverev: The pressure is immense
Jun 5, 2026 8:24 pm | 1:25m
Alexander Zverev is in the final of the French Open. Philipp Kohlschreiber sees “the opportunity of a lifetime”.
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How he handles the pressure. Sensational. He ignores everything. No social media. And I think the team around him is also doing a very good job. Because the pressure is of course immense. Everyone says that this will actually be the easiest Grand Slam to win. But no, it’s incredibly difficult. There wasn’t just the overwhelming favorite, he was out early. And now he has followed in his footsteps, as number two or three in the world. Two seeds in the tournament. At the French Open there is always a lot of pressure to go far. But the mental strength and the playfulness are very good together this year. And it is the opportunity of a lifetime. He focuses on himself and that is also what he can control. He can’t control who he plays against. He can’t control the weather. He has to take everything as it comes. And I think that’s actually the simplicity of how you think. And that’s actually what he shows us. He is clearly fully focused and has the goal of becoming a Grand Slam champion. And I think he seems mentally mature, stable and hungry. And I think that’s what we enjoy most as tennis fans. He enjoys playing Mario Kart with his family, with his brother. A bit of FIFA is played. So you have to be able to switch off. And I think he managed that very well with his team. And then, of course, maybe the evening before you can discuss what’s coming up. Create a match plan, sleep well, eat well and then just have full energy and full throttle for Sunday.