“That’s why Europeans are better on clay” Alexander Zverev explains sliding advantage at French Open

Alexander Zverev debuted at the French Open with an impressive victory, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 against local player Benjamin Bonzi. It was a commanding debut for the world No. 2, who is considered one of the few names capable of challenging Jannik Sinner’s status as favourite at this Roland Garros.

Zverev arrived with some physical issues that had prevented him from competing at the Hamburg Open the previous week—at least according to the official information released after he withdrew from his home tournament. However, against Bonzi he was in optimal condition, taking a straightforward win that sends him into the second round without complications.

“It was an awesome day” Zverev said at the beginning of his press conference, adding that it was a solid start and that sometimes things are as simple as that. He explained that he won in three sets against an opponent capable of making life difficult for strong players, noting that Bonzi had shown that level in the past and that he himself handled the situation well, which was what pleased him the most.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist is the second player with the most wins at the French Open in the current draw, only behind Novak Djokovic. Zverev holds a 39–10 record at Roland Garros (79%), including a run to the final in 2024 and three additional semifinal appearances. However, he has repeatedly fallen just short of the title in Paris, something that remains one of his major ambitions.

One of the keys to Zverev’s success on clay—where he has won nine titles, including three Masters 1000 events—has been his ability to slide effectively on the surface. The German explained that this is not something he specifically trains as a technical skill, but rather something that comes naturally to him due to having developed his game on clay courts.

“That’s why Europeans are probably better on clay than Americans or Australians. Because that’s what we grew up on,” he said. “It’s the more natural move for us. That’s how we move on a tennis court. We move through sliding. We move through the slippery surface better because we’re used to it.”

“As a kid, nobody can really teach you how to slide. You do it instinctively at some point and naturally at some point. If you grew up on the surface and you learned how to do it—or not learned how to do it, but you did it from a young age—you do it automatically,” he added.

Zverev also mentioned several of his peers as examples, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the two dominant names on clay over the last couple of seasons. “That’s why most Europeans nowadays, you look at Jannik, who’s an extreme example, or Carlos, who’s an extreme example. On hard courts they move like on clay. They slide to shots, they slide for drop shots, they slide to forehands, backhands. I do that as well.”

On the other hand, he also brought up Daniil Medvedev as another example, a player who has repeatedly stated that he does not feel comfortable on clay courts. “Medvedev is another one who’s extreme. He does it on hard courts as well. Those are all European players because we grew up on this slippery surface, which made us learn how to move on a tennis court in a certain way.”

“If you would ask me to break down how I do it, I would have no idea how I do it. I see a ball, I have to get there, I slide to it. That’s how I feel like everybody would explain it.”

The world No. 2 will have a few days to prepare for his next challenge in the second round, where he will face one of the most dangerous unseeded players: Czech Tomas Machac, who delivered a convincing straight-sets win over Zizou Bergs in his opening match. They will meet on Wednesday for a place in the third round.

Zverev has reached at least the fourth round in Paris for eight consecutive years, and this season his expectations are once again focused on surpassing his previous results.