Alizé Cornet Slams Alexander Zverev's 'Disrespectful' Joke About Athletes' Intelligence

Zverev's joke about athletes' intelligence backfires as Alizé Cornet calls it 'a huge lack of respect' on French TV.

Arthur Millot

06/06/2026, 11:14

1 min to read

Cornet Grand Slam Roland-Garros Zverev

Qualified for the Roland-Garros final, Alexander Zverev tried to show some humor when speaking to Alex Corretja.

Asked about his state of mind before stepping onto the court, the world No. 3 explained how he approaches big occasions, before slipping in a remark that sparked many reactions:

"I try to completely empty my mind. I don't think about anything. We are athletes, and very few of them have anything in their heads anyway (laughs). Sometimes it's easier to just be 'dumb' and not think."

A joke that did not sit well with many observers in the tennis world.

Among the critics is Alizé Cornet. The former French player, who reached No. 11 in the world rankings during her career, reacted strongly to the German's comments on France Télévisions.

"It's a huge lack of respect"

Very annoyed by the statement, the Nice native said this:

"The uselessness of that statement. They say athletes have nothing in their heads. Let him speak for himself, but don't put us all in the same bag.

It's a huge lack of respect towards players and athletes," she declared on France TV.

Some journalists on the set also called Zverev's joke a miss.