Importance Score: 42 / 100 🔵
Alexander Zverev’s French Open Journey Begins with Lightning Strike Scare
Tennis star Alexander Zverev’s journey to the French Open was anything but smooth, as the athlete revealed his plane experienced a lightning strike en route to Paris. The incident occurred following his elimination from the Hamburg Open by Alexandre Muller, adding an unexpected twist to his preparations for the prestigious French Open tournament. The tennis star now hopes to put the scare behind him and focus on the competition at Roland Garros.
Turbulent Travels: Zverev’s Account of the Incident
Zverev recounted the startling event, detailing the disruption to his travel plans. “My trip over was phenomenal, actually,” Zverev began. “Some funny stories there. My trip here was funny because we were supposed to fly yesterday evening at 6.45pm. We took off from Hamburg and we were flying together with [Jiri] Lehecka, [Brandon] Nakashima, some doubles guys – and we got struck by lightning.”
The unexpected strike forced the aircraft to make an emergency return to Hamburg.
- Emergency landing executed in Hamburg.
- Search for alternative flight unsuccessful.
- Zverev eventually departed at 1 a.m., arriving in Paris at 3 a.m.
“So we had to do an emergency landing back in Hamburg. Couldn’t find another plane, so everybody else flew the next morning. I took another plane and flew around 1am, so I arrived here at 3am.”
Zverev’s Reaction and Perspective
Despite the alarming nature of the event, Zverev maintained a lighthearted perspective. “So that was quite funny. It was the first time [in my] experience [that a plane was] struck by lightning mid-air, which is funny because it was a little noise, no real wobbling, nothing, but yeah. So that was my trip over. Best story of Roland Garros so far.”
Zverev’s Form and French Open Aspirations
Prior to this incident, Zverev experienced mixed results on the court. His recent performances include:
- Early exit from the Hamburg Open
- Quarter-final appearance at the Italian Open
- Round of 16 loss at the Madrid Open
- Victory at the BMW Open in Munich in mid-April
Despite these challenges, the German tennis player remains a strong contender for the title at Roland Garros, especially after reaching the final of the Paris Grand Slam the previous year. Fans are eager to see if Zverev can overcome this unsettling start and make a deep run in the French Open 2024.