Statements after semi-final success
Ex-professional criticizes Alexander Zverev: “Disrespectful”
Updated June 6, 2026 – 4:38 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
After reaching the final at the French Open, Alexander Zverev appeared to be joking. An ex-player doesn’t find his statements funny at all.
Former French tennis player Alize Cornet has criticized Alexander Zverev for his statements after his victory in the semi-finals of the French Open. As part of a French TV broadcast, the 36-year-old said: “The senselessness of this statement – I’m honestly speechless. To claim that athletes have nothing on their minds… Okay, he’s only speaking for himself, but we’re all in the same boat,” she said indignantly.
After his victory in the semifinals of the French Open against Czech Jakub Menšík, Zverev responded humorously when asked what was going through his mind when he went onto the court. “At that moment, nothing is going through my head,” he said and added: “In general: we are athletes. We don’t have anything on our minds anyway, that’s why…”. This caused a lot of laughter from the audience in the stands of the Court Philippe-Chatrier. “Sometimes it’s easier to be stupid than to think too much,” said Zverev.
However, Cornet couldn’t laugh at the statements. “Seriously, it’s crazy when you think about saying something like that on Center Court. It’s so disrespectful to the players, to the athletes,” she complained. “I calm down, I calm down. If he wanted to be funny, it wasn’t,” Cornet continued.
A little later, however, Cornet reacted differently again. Under an Instagram post from the “tennis365” portal that picked up on her statements, Cornet wrote: “Okay guys, I forgot my sense of humor for a moment. It can happen to anyone, right? Sorry.”
After defeating Menšík, Zverev is in the final of the French Open for the second time since 2024. Overall, this is his fourth Grand Slam final and he hasn’t won one yet. However, he is considered the favorite in the final against the Italian Flavio Cobolli.