Alexander Zverev has a great chance of winning the maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, but refused to trade it with his Olympic gold, which he said is the most difficult thing to win.
Second seed Zverev has made the most of an open draw at the French Open, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz not playing at Roland Garros because of an injury and early exits for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic clearing the path further.
The German booked his place in the semifinals with a 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3 victory over Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar.
The 29-year-old is now just two wins away from winning his first Grand Slam title after finishing runner-up three times. However, Zverev said he already owns the achievement that means the most to him, his Olympic gold medal from Tokyo.
When asked if he would trade that gold medal for a Grand Slam title, Zverev was clear in his response.
“No chance. The gold medal for me is the most difficult thing to win, because you get a chance once every four years.
“It’s special in a way that there are so few people that have done it. I think you do it for your country. You do it for the people back home.
“I’ll never trade my gold medal for anything, but I wouldn’t mind to add a few things to my list as well.”
Standing between Zverev and a fourth Grand Slam final appearance is 26th-seeded Czech player Jakub Mensik.
Looking ahead to the semifinal, Zverev said his focus remains firmly on his own game.
“I have to trust my tennis and trust myself. If I play well, then I think that’s 99% of the work. I focus on the next match and I focus on the opponent as they cross the net and that’s the only thing I can control.
“If I win those matches, then that’s great.”
