Alexander Zverev reveals illness, says he was ‘completely sick’ during French Open match
German tennis player Alexander Zverev lost in four sets in the fourth round of the French Open to Italian Jannik Sinner on Sunday. However, his post-match comments reignited concerns over COVID-19 protocols and testing before matches, according to The New York Times.
“I’m completely sick,” Zverev said in a virtual press conference. “I can’t really breathe, as you can hear by my voice. I had fever as well. Yeah, I’m not in the best physical state, I would say. I think that had a little bit of an effect on the match today.”
The No. 6-seeded Zverev lost lost 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 3-6 to the teenage Sinner
The French Tennis Federation said in a statement via The Times that Zverev was last tested for the coronavirus Tuesday, with a negative test result returned Wednesday. Zverev reportedly did not report his symptoms to French Open officials ahead of Sunday’s match, as he was supposed to per the tournament’s protocols.
“To be honest, I warmed up today: I shouldn’t have played,” Zverev, who noted he started feeling sick Friday night, said. “I was hoping maybe for a three-set win or something like that, but I knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be easy.”
Zverev said he had a fever that reached 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. During the match, the German was seen coughing and consulted with tournament medical officials, who gave him a nasal spray and a pill for his throat, according to Reuters.
