"I’m the least jealous person ever. So when I see any of my peers winning... everyone can eat" - Nothing but praise from Nick Kyrgios directed to Zverev after major triumph

Plaudits and congrats have come far and wide after Alexander Zverev finally broke his Grand Slam duct at the French Open, defeating Flavio Cobolli in five sets to finally break new ground. Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios

Zverev had that tag on him for his whole career. He had won basically everything else in the sport and is regarded as one of the top players of the last decade, constantly around the top of the rankings challenging for the top accolades.

This includes Grand Slams, yet without the triumph. He reached three Grand Slam finals before this one, losing all of them. Each came with their different stories. He served for the championship against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, was 2-1 ahead against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Roland Garros final but was second best against Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open climax event.

It would be different this time around. With there being so many upsets and surprising results, Zverev avoided all of these and made it to the final. He was pegged back twice by the 10th seed Cobolli who really made a match out of it. In the end, the German came out as the champion with a huge sense of jubilation and relief being released.

He received many words and statements of congrats by former and current players who were happy to see him finally achieve his dream.

Kyrgios had had a less successful career than Zverev. A huge talent, he was unable to live up to the hype and prove himself as one of the best. He did reach a purple patch of form in 2022 when he reached the final of Wimbledon and backed it up with a quarter-final in the US Open.

Always talented on grass, he finally showed that to reach a first and only singles Grand Slam final where Novak Djokovic took him down. Injuries have basically ravaged his career from them and he has been rarely seen on court.

With grass once again the main surface for the time being, Kyrgios has emerged from the shadows to play his trade. He is competing in the Halle Open, the same tournament as Zverev who is the number one seed on home soil. Kyrgios wasted no time in complimenting the Roland Garros champion as he shrugged off any signs of jealousy.

“Yeah look, I’m the least jealous person ever," he told Tennis TV. "So when I see any of my peers winning… everyone can eat, there’s plenty of room for everyone to have success in this world. And I’ve realised that I’ve had more success than most athletes in any sport and in any space. So I’m confident enough to know when it was my time and humble enough to realise that it can be someone else’s."

The Aussie referred to a horrific injury that Zverev had picked up on Court Philippe Chatrier back in 2022. In the semi-final against Rafael Nadal, he suffered a severe right ankle injury that kept him out of the sport for a while. It was an excruciating watch with him tumbling to the ground while screaming in pain.

"To see Sascha finally get over that hump… he’s been one of our most consistent players on tour now for the last 10 years, barring that disgusting injury he had that he bounced back from," Kyrgios continued.

“People forget… to 99% of players that’s a career-ending injury. They could have been content with that career, and he could have come back, but obviously not had the hunger to reach that level again. And come back and overcome it and actually be a better player is quite scary to me. The obsession and the diligence that takes is quite insane. I saw him briefly in the cafe this morning, just gave him a thumbs up. He knows, I’ve commented on it over the last week when I did interviews, but I’m super happy for him."

Timing is a big part of tennis, and Zverev was unfortunate to compete in a time where some of the best players in the world dominated. He broke through as the 'Big Three' were still ruling the sport, although coming to the end of their careers for the most part. This did not mean they were still winning awards and accolades.

In recent times, he has again been left behind by Alcaraz and Sinner with the pair in a league of their own at the top of the order. They have dominated the Grand Slam scene, mopping up almost all the titles. In this time Zverev has tried his best to keep up and take what he can get. By far and away the world number three, he is the closest challenger to the top two.

Many fans have been left frustrated and disappointed by him not making that next step. Kyrgios defended him. “I think he’s dealt with a lot of adversity, and he’s one of the players that does cop a lot of doubters and haters," he admitted. “I saw this ridiculous video yesterday saying the lost generation, the one that’s been dogged by the Big Three, and then getting dogged by Jannik [Sinner] and [Carlos] Alcaraz. But that’s not a nice place and nice thing to hear."

Being 29 years old, there is still time for Zverev to clinch more major silverware. “So for him to bring a Slam for that generation… and I think for himself, I think he’s hungry to win more," Kyrgios noted. "I think he has the potential to win more. But again I’m super happy for him. He deserves it. He’s one of the players that I think was in the category ‘best to never win one’, and to not be in that is a good feeling. It’s something I probably will never know, but it was a special moment for sure.”