Alexander Zverev won the biggest title of his career three years ago in Tokyo, when he won a Gold Medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The German returns to the Olympics as the No. 3 seed, a potential threat that knows how to play solid tennis on clay courts. The last time he was at Roland Garros, he lost in a nailbiter to Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

So what should fans expect from Zverev in the next nine days? He opens his singles campaign against Spaniard Jaume Munar, a match scheduled for Sunday. Meanwhile, he’s also partnering with Laura Siegemund in the mixed doubles event, where the team ranks as the top seed.

Alexander Zverev at the Olympics

Tokyo 2020

Zverev was already starting to leave his mark on the ATP Tour in 2016, but he wasn’t able to play in the Rio Olympics due to health injuries. Once he got to Tokyo, the German had already reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open and had won 15 ATP titles.

The German thrived on the hard courts in Tokyo, where he reached the semifinals without dropping a set. He stunned Novak Djokovic 1-6 6-3 6-1 at that stage, denying the World No. 1 a Gold Medal. Zverev saved his best performance for last, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3 6-1 to take home the Gold Medal. He converted four of eight break point opportunities in the match and didn’t lose serve. During that stage of his career, double faults were a critical issue for Zverev, and he was able to avoid them for much of the tournament.

Zverev: Clay court specialist or not?

Zverev arguably may be a clay court specialist. He reached the final of the 2024 French Open after multiple enticing matches; Tallon Griekspoor, Holger Rune, and Casper Ruud were all able to push the German throughout the tournament, but the German found an extra gear in those matches. His clay-court winning percentage is 73% — higher than any other surface — and that record bumps up to 80% when factoring in just the 2024 season. He’s won clay-court titles in Munich and Rome this year, the latter being a Masters 1000 event. And on top of his French Open final run, he reached the final of the ATP 500 event in Hamburg, losing in a third-set tiebreaker to Arthur Fils.

His serve is one of the fastest on tour, but his placement is often unpredictable and dangerous. The German does well to hit heavy shots on the clay courts and stay in rallies, but he also intriguingly hits a flat backhand as opposed to many others on tour. His powerful backhand cross-court often forces players into difficult positions on the court. His drop shot has also improved over the years, and he’s moved better ever since his painful injury at the 2022 French Open.

Paris 2024

Zverev will have arguably more competition in Paris compared to Tokyo, with Carlos Alcaraz playing well and Novak Djokovic steadily improving in form throughout the 2024 season. But he’ll certainly want to take advantage of some big names missing at the tournament, such as Jannik Sinner who withdrew with illness. His biggest challenge early in the tournament may be Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, but clay courts don’t suit Fritz’s game. A semifinal rematch with Novak Djokovic may be looming, and it’ll arguably be a 50-50 encounter. If the German reaches the final, a Parisian clay rematch with Carlos Alcaraz could be on the cards.

Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports