Alexander Zverev causes a stir with comments after winning French Open title | Tennis | Sport

The German was able to combat his previous misery on the Grand Slam stage to edge a five-set thriller against Flavio Cobolli. Zverev twice led in the match, but was pegged back both times, with the Italian forcing a deciding set at Court Philippe-Chatrier.

It was in the fourth set where Zverev looked his most fallible, having been seen clutching his legs and appearing to cramp up. Cobolli took the set via a tiebreak, but speaking afterwards, Zverev claimed the cramps actually helped him secure the win.

He remarked: “I was cramping. I was struggling physically a little bit, even though I don’t think the cramps were physical. I think they were more mental. I was very tightened up. I was very, you know, emotional. I was a bit unstable also in the fourth set.

“I actually think that the cramps helped me in a way. I think that I let go. I kind of hit my shots a bit more and then just let go. And, of course, the fifth set went my way, and I’m happy about that and happy to be sitting next to this beautiful trophy for the first time.”

When asked to elaborate, the 29-year-old explained: “No, no, no, I was just very tight today. I honestly feel like I’ve managed the last two weeks extremely well, because with all the losses that happened early on with Jannik going out, with Novak going out, I managed to stay composed, I managed to stay calm in my mind, and I feel like I was playing really, really good tennis.

“But then today I feel like I didn’t manage so well. I feel like the match was a lot more up and down. I think the level was not as stable as the previous matches for me, and I was a lot more nervous, which at some stage is also human, I think.

“That’s why I say the cramps helped me in a way, because my mind let go. I started swinging more freely. I started hitting the ball a bit more aggressive. All of that, you know, that’s because the cramps. I couldn’t focus on being tight anymore. I had to kind of let go. That’s why I played the fifth set the way I did.”