Sejumlah media internasional memberikan penghormatan tinggi setelah Alexander Zverev sukses memenangkan gelar Grand Slam pertamanya dalam laga final French Open pada Minggu (7/6). Keberhasilan petenis Jerman tersebut diraih seusai menumbangkan perlawanan sengit dari wakil Italia, Flavio Cobolli.
Apresiasi besar datang dari media Prancis, L'Equipe, yang menyoroti penantian panjang negara asal Zverev setelah tersingkirnya para petenis unggulan di babak awal turnamen.
"An 89-year wait for a German champion: following Jannik Sinner's exit in the second round, Zverev was considered the clear favourite and lived up to expectations throughout the two-week tournament." tulis L'Equipe.
Sementara itu, media Prancis lainnya, Le Figaro, menyoroti perjuangan mental yang harus dilalui oleh peringkat tiga dunia tersebut sepanjang pertandingan pamungkas yang menegangkan.
"After a nerve-wracking final, Alexander Zverev overcomes his demons and wins his first Grand Slam title." tulis Le Figaro.
Media asal Italia, La Gazzetta dello Sport, turut memberikan ulasan mengenai jalannya pertandingan serta momen emosional antara Zverev dan Cobolli setelah laga berakhir.
"A magnificent Cobolli isn't enough; Roland Garros belongs to Zverev! Flavio forces him into a fifth set, then crumbles. Sascha finishes the match in tears and then embraces Flavio Cobolli, one of his closest friends on the tour. After Pietrangeli, Panatta and Sinner, Italy cannot celebrate a new Grand Slam winner." tulis La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Media Italia lain, Tuttosport, menambahkan analisis mengenai dominasi yang ditunjukkan oleh Zverev pada set penentu setelah sempat mendapat perlawanan ketat.
"The fairy tale ends in the fifth set: Roland Garros goes to the German. In the deciding set, Zverev dominated and won just as he had started." tulis Tuttosport.
Pemberitaan dari Spanyol melalui media AS mengaitkannya dengan latar belakang keluarga Zverev serta pencapaian besar yang akhirnya melengkapi daftar karier profesionalnya.
"Champion at last! The old adage holds: it's never too late to claim your moment. If a similar maxim exists in Germany or Russia—the country where his parents and older brother nurtured his tennis talent—Alexander Zverev can now claim it as his own, having fulfilled one of the last missing feats in his distinguished career: winning a Grand Slam." tulis AS.
Media Spanyol, Marca, mengungkapkan bahwa kemenangan ini sekaligus menjawab keraguan yang pernah dilontarkan oleh legenda tenis senegaranya.
"Zverev dominates in Paris and secures his place among tennis's greats. He has finally lifted a heavy burden from his shoulders. Even his compatriot Boris Becker had questioned his ability to make his mark on the big stage." tulis Marca.
Terakhir, media asal Inggris, The Telegraph, menggambarkan situasi pertandingan yang diwarnai banyak kesalahan sendiri sebelum akhirnya ditutup dengan tangis kebahagiaan.
"Alexander Zverev overcomes his nerves to finally win a Grand Slam title. Both Zverev and Cobolli were at times their own worst enemies as the number of unforced errors mounted, but in the end the favourite could celebrate, falling backwards onto the clay court in tears with a mixture of joy and relief." tulis The Telegraph.
