We expected Novak Djokovic, it was finally Alexander Zverev who was crowned in Tokyo: the German won the gold medal in the Olympic Games singles on Sunday, beating the Russian competing under the neutral banner Karen Khachanov at the end of a tennis tournament marked by the disillusionment of the big favorites.
By clearly beating Khachanov, 6-3, 6-1, he won the most prestigious title of his career, he who at 24, and despite already 15 titles on the ATP circuit - including 4 Masters 1000 - is still chasing his first Grand Slam.
This victory comes to close an Olympic tournament deprived of many of the best in the world - Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams or Simona Halep - and where the favorites present failed.
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty fell in the first round, double Olympic champion Andy Murray forfeited before his first match, Naomi Osaka, superstar in Japan who lit the Olympic flame and carried the hopes of Japan, fell as soon as the eighth against the 42nd world.
But the biggest surprise came from the fall in the semifinals of world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, a favorite who came to Japan to win his first Olympic title.
He finally left empty-handed and diminished by a shoulder injury and "physical and mental exhaustion".
Not very reassuring one month before the US Open (August 30-September 12).
Zverev's revenge
If in doubles the logic was respected, with the victories of the seeds N.1 - the Czechs Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in the women, the Croats Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the men - in singles, it is a revenante and a young wolf who imposed themselves.
On Saturday, Belinda Bencic, former N.1 in the juniors and great hope of Swiss tennis with a career hampered by repeated injuries, won the title in the ladies, and Sunday Alexander Zverev came to show, after his feat against Djokovic on Friday , which will also have to be reckoned with in the years to come.
A great revenge for the one who, a little less than a year ago, saw his hopes of securing a first Grand Slam victory suddenly soar at the US Open.
While leading two sets to zero against Dominic Thiem, Zverev saw the Austrian win after a 4:02 thriller.
He was two points away from the game.
But since then he has recovered well, winning two titles in Cologne in the fall and reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
On Sunday, still very efficient on serve (6 aces, 69% from first balls), he knocked out Khachanov with winning shots (65 against 43 for the Russian) to win in just 1h21.
