Alexander Zverev has revealed there is one achievement in his career he values more highly than any Grand Slam title as the German edges closer to ending his long wait for major glory at the French Open.
The world No 2 booked his place in the semi-finals at Roland Garros with an impressive straight-sets victory over Spain's Rafael Jodar, continuing his pursuit of a first Grand Slam crown.
Yet despite suffering heartbreak in three major finals, Zverev insists he would never swap the Olympic gold medal he won in Tokyo for any of those missed opportunities.
The German star was asked whether he would trade his Olympic triumph for a Grand Slam title if given the chance - and delivered an emphatic response.
"No chance," Zverev said.
"The gold medal for me is the most difficult thing to win because you get a chance once every four years.
"You do it for your country. You do it for the people back home.
"I will never trade my gold medal for anything."
Alexander Zverev has revealed there is one achievement in his career he values more highly than any Grand Slam title as the German edges closer to ending his long wait for major glory at the French Open
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Alexander Zverev pictured after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021
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The 29-year-old added that he would still welcome a few more additions to his trophy cabinet, with a Grand Slam title remaining the most obvious missing piece.
Zverev has established himself as one of the leading players of his generation but has repeatedly fallen short at the final hurdle on the biggest stages.
His most painful defeat came at the US Open in 2020 when he squandered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem.
The Austrian mounted a dramatic comeback to deny Zverev what looked set to be his breakthrough major triumph.
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French Open winners since 2000 | GETTY/GB NEWSMore disappointment followed at Roland Garros in 2024 when Zverev held a two-sets-to-one advantage against Carlos Alcaraz before ultimately being beaten.
A year later he reached the Australian Open final, only to be comprehensively defeated by Jannik Sinner.
Those setbacks have left lingering questions over whether Zverev can finally convert his immense talent into Grand Slam success.
However, the French Open draw has opened up dramatically in recent days.
Alcaraz was forced to miss the tournament through injury, while Sinner and Novak Djokovic both suffered surprise early exits.
Those results have transformed the landscape of the men's draw and strengthened Zverev's hopes of finally lifting a major trophy.
"I feel like the draw opened up a lot on the top half," he admitted.
"Of course, with Joao Fonseca beating Djokovic, it's a big match that opened up the draw."
Alexander Zverev is just two victories away from a maiden Grand Slam title
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Standing between Zverev and a place in the final is Czech youngster Jakub Mensik.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive rise and enhanced his growing reputation by defeating Brazilian teenager Fonseca to reach the last four.
Mensik already owns a notable victory over Djokovic after beating the Serbian in the Miami Open final and is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the sport.
Zverev acknowledged the threat posed by the next generation but remains confident in his own abilities.
"We have fantastic players that are young on the tour right now," he said.
"We have a lot of potential.
"I have to trust myself, trust my game."