"Tournament doesn't stop" - Alexander Zverev on playing for '8 and a half hours over 3 days' to reach fourth consecutive French Open QF

Alexander Zverev expressed satisfaction after beating 13th-seeded Holger Rune to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open for the sixth time on Monday (June 3). The German was taken to the distance for the second time in the last three days but had enough in his tank to notch another five-set victory.

Zverev has been in great form at this year's claycourt Major. The fourth seed began his campaign on the terre battue with a commanding win over 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round, before beating former World No. 9 David Goffin in his next match.

Alexander Zverev then fell behind by a double break in the deciding set of his third-round encounter against 26th-seeded Tallon Griekspoor; however, he showed his trademark resilience to bag a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(10-3) victory.

The 27-year-old's fourth-round outing followed a similar pattern as he came from two sets to one down to overcome Holger Rune 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-2. During his on-court interview after the match, he was admittedly happy to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open despite playing two lung-busting five-set matches.

"Yeah, I'm proud. I'm proud to be in the quarterfinals. I've played a total of eight and a half hours over the last three days," Alexander Zverev said during his on-court interview on Monday. "So, I need to recover. I need to do everything possible to be ready for the quarterfinal match because obviously, the tournament doesn't stop here and I want to continue."

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Alexander Zverev all praise for his fourth-round opponent: "Holger Rune is an unbelievable player, a young talent"

Alexander Zverev looks on during his match vs Holger Rune

During the interview, Alexander Zverev also lavished rich praise on Holger Rune, who reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in his last two appearances. The German claimed that the local fans in Paris would see much more of the promising Dane in the next 15-20 years.

"Wow, what a match to be honest. Holger Rune is an unbelievable player, a young talent. You're going to see him for 15, maybe 20 years on this beautiful court, so credit to him," Zverev said. "He's been playing unbelievable this week. He's been struggling this year a little bit. But this week, obviously, he's been playing unbelievable tennis. And I'm lucky to be through."

Zverev will next face 11th-seeded Alex de Minaur for a place in the semifinals of the 2024 French Open. The fourth seed owns a 7-2 winning record against the Aussie on the ATP Tour, giving him an edge in their last-eight meeting on Wednesday (June 5).