A breakthrough like this has been a long time coming for Alexander Zverev, but how the wait was worth it. Two days after his stunning semi-final victory over Novak Djokovic, Zverev returned to the Ariake Coliseum court to overwhelm Karen Khachanov with a display of irresistible power, unexpected variety and no little brilliance, becoming the first German man in history to win an Olympic singles gold medal.
It was a performance that made you wonder how Zverev, at the age of 24, has not already annexed more of the game’s major prizes. The German’s 6-3, 6-1 victory marked his most significant moment since 2018, when he achieved the rare feat of beating Roger Federer and Djokovic on consecutive days to win the ATP World Tour finals.
Zverev has been knocking on the door ever more insistently since then, gradually shaking off his reputation as a player who struggled to translate his impressive form in Masters 1000 events into success at the majors. He has reached the semi-finals or better at three of the four grand slams, but winning the Olympics represents his finest achievement to date, eclipsing his run to last year’s US Open final, where he was beaten by Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets to love.
“This is the biggest tournament you can win, in any sport,” said Zverev after following in the the footsteps of compatriot Steffi Graf, the 1988 gold medallist. “I’ve won the World Tour finals but a gold medal at the Olympics, the value is incredible because you’re not only playing for yourself, you’re playing for your country. It’s an incredible feeling. There is nothing better than this.”
It was an evening of frustration for Khanchanov, who was broken in the third game and remained on the back foot for the rest of the match. The 12th-seeded Russian has enjoyed a fine summer, reaching a clay-court semi-final in Lyon and the last eight at Wimbledon, but here he was outclassed in every department. Struggling to defend his own serve, he was equally unable to make an impression against the German’s delivery, winning less than a quarter of his return points. His only break point, which came in the sixth game, was quickly snuffed out by a big first serve into the body. Repeatedly overpowered from the baseline, Khachanov was forced outside his comfort zone, the unremitting excellence of Zverev’s play drawing errors that only compounded the Russian’s misery.
“From beginning to the end, he played an unbelievable match,” said Khachanov, whose frustration boiled over afterwards as he smashed a racket at courtside.
Such exasperation was understandable. Rarely can Zverev have played more flawlessly. The forehand is often a barometer of how well the German’s’s game is working, and here it was immaculate. Time and again Zverev pulled Khachanov beyond the doubles alley, his cross-court shots loaded with power and topspin to which the Russian had no answer. With his weaker wing firing, the quality of Zverev’s shot-making off the backhand was frequently astonishing, the German drilling winners almost at will.
Amid the relentless barrage of 140mph serves and rifled groundstrokes there was variety, too – sliding defensive backhands, drop shots, topspin lobs. With his confidence high and his game in fine fettle, all the indications are that Zverev will be a force to be reckoned with at the US Open. He was in no mood to entertain such talk, however, preferring instead to soak in the culmination of an unforgettable week.
“I don’t want to talk about the next grand slam right now because I just won the Olympic Games,” said Zverev. “I want to enjoy this one for two minutes.”
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic failed in her bid to become the first woman to win singles and doubles gold at the same Olympics since Serena Williams at London 2012. Bencic and her partner Viktorija Golubic were beaten 7-5, 6-1 by the top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, who become the first ever Czech gold medal winners in tennis.
“I’m just really proud about how we did this week, and how we supported each other, even in the tough moments,” said Krejcikova. “We’re really happy and really grateful that we could be here. We did such a great job during these 10 days and we have this beautiful gold medal. It’s pretty much a dream come true.”
It fell to Bencic to sum up the spirit of the tennis tournament at these Games. “It’s not just about the medals or the titles, it’s about the memories you create that will last forever,” she said. “To share this with Viki is unbelievable. The whole week I never felt like I was in a normal tournament or playing alone. She was alongside me the entire way. I always tell her we won this gold medal together as well. When we will be 80 years old and have a coffee, we will talk about these moments. And I cannot wait for that.”