Alexander Zverev reveals Rafael Nadal message that 'really meant a lot' after French Open victory - 'Incredibly kind'
Updated 11/06/2026 at 18:50 GMT+1
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Alexander Zverev said he received an "incredibly kind" congratulatory message from Rafael Nadal following his maiden Grand Slam victory at the 2026 French Open.
Highlights: Zverev comes through five-set final with Cobolli to win first Grand Slam title
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Zverev overcame a nerve-filled display to beat Flavio Cobolli in five sets in a dramatic final at Roland-Garros, ending his long wait for a first Grand Slam title.
The German, who had lost in three previous major finals, fought off a plucky Cobolli and his own battles with cramp to win a tense match 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7(5) 6-1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
And speaking to Eurosport Germany, Zverev said that he has received plenty of messages of support afterwards, including many fellow sporting stars.
"For me, private messages mean much more," the 29-year-old said.
"Every top tennis player congratulated me: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic. Rafa [Nadal] wrote me an exceptionally long message - I found that incredibly kind.
"Athletes from other sports as well: Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels, Joshua Kimmich. Dirk Nowitzki was following the match closely and even texted me during it. That really meant a lot to me."
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'I feel like I can do it again' - Zverev says French Open win important for self-belief
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Zverev explained that fellow German and NBA legend Nowitzki sent 10 "very short messages," all of which were "brief."
"It could have been written in one message, but he always texts like that," Zverev said with a smile.
He also said that he was congratulated by the chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz.
"It’s nice that he found the time to watch the match and then spoke to me for five minutes afterwards," Zverev said. "That’s an honour, it’s special. I hope he can attend a tennis match soon."
Despite the time he has spent replying to all those messages, Zverev still thinks he is "probably a few days" from replying to all of them.
"I still have 1,600 unread messages. I’ve been on my phone for three days now trying to reply to everyone," he said. "But that’s fine. I’ll reply to everyone."
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Experts debate whether Grand Slam 'floodgates' will open for Zverev after French Open triumph
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It is perhaps no wonder so many people reached out to Zverev to praise him after suffering so much previous heartbreak in Grand Slams.
As well as losing in his three previous major finals, Zverev suffered a serious ankle injury four years ago in the French Open semi-finals against Rafael Nadal, and two years ago lost in the final to Carlos Alcaraz.
And his victory this year in Paris ends a run of nine straight Grand Slams won by either Jannik Sinner or Alcaraz.
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He is just the third man born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title, after Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev, and does so on his 41st appearance at a major, the second-longest wait behind only Goran Ivanisevic (48, Wimbledon 2001), as confirmed by Opta.
The significance of the victory was plain to see as Zverev fell to the floor after the final point and could not hold back tears.
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