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Lightning strikes and emergency: Zverev's turbulent trip to Paris
Alexander Zverev report a lightning strike on the flight to Paris for the French Open 2025. Despite health setbacks, he remains optimistic.
Lightning strikes and emergency: Zverev's turbulent trip to Paris
In a recent interview, Alexander Zverev reported a spectacular incident on his way to the French Open. The 28-year-old tennis player was on a flight from Hamburg to Paris when a lightning strike led to an emergency landing. Zverev described the moment as "pretty funny" as there was only a small noise without the plane shaking ( ran.de ).
Despite this unexpected turbulence and a recent bout of illness, Zverev remains optimistic about the upcoming tournament. He emphasizes that Roland Garros represents a significant challenge for him as it is a Grand Slam tournament and is played in a best-of-five format. Before the event, however, Zverev admitted that his preparation was suboptimal.
Setbacks and opportunities
At his home tournament in Hamburg, Zverev suffered an unfortunate defeat in the round of 16 and was also previously affected by health problems. These included frequent vomiting and high fever, which disabled him throughout the week. Boris Becker criticized his decision to compete in Hamburg despite these challenges, while Zverev himself has admitted that a break might have made sense ( ndr.de ).
Looking ahead to his first round at Roland Garros, Zverev will face 19-year-old American Learner Tien. However, in a previous duel in Acapulco, Zverev lost to Tien in straight sets. Despite this defeat, Zverev is confident as he sees the first few games as crucial in finding his form.
The path to the final
The path to the title in Paris doesn't look easy for Zverev. In the second round he could face Jesper De Jong or Francesco Passaro, while possible opponents in the third round could be Felix Auger-Aliassime and Francisco Cerundolo in the round of 16. A possible quarter-final duel would be against the Serbian Novak Djokovic, and should Zverev advance to the final, the Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated him in a thrilling final last year and sees him as a rival, could be waiting for him.
However, with a single tournament win in Munich while preparing for the clay court season, Zverev remains optimistic. His goal remains clear: the first Grand Slam title of his career, which has so far eluded him. The first matches will be crucial to set the course for success in Paris.