LONDON — Valentin Royer delivered a blunt assessment of his own performance after his Wimbledon campaign ended with a straight-set defeat to Alexander Zverev, saying he never managed to play his natural game on one of the tournament’s biggest stages.
The French qualifier fell 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 in the second round against the world No. 3 on Court No. 1 but insisted afterward that he had no excuses for the loss.
“I’m really disappointed in myself,” Royer said. “I didn’t manage to make a difference and, above all, I couldn’t detach myself from the fact that I was playing on Court No. 1 against Zverev.”
Royer admitted he struggled to respond after a difficult start and regretted failing to show greater resilience as the match progressed.
“What disappoints me is that I didn’t manage, maybe a little in the third set, to have that prideful reaction to defend my chances, play my game and do things differently,” he said.
The 24-year-old explained that his tactical approach backfired almost immediately as he attempted to pressure Zverev from the opening exchanges.
“He started very well, and I began with too much intensity,” Royer said. “I wanted to hit too hard and put him under pressure too quickly, but I made a lot of unforced errors from the beginning. Then it became easy for him because he gained confidence, served better, returned better and controlled the rallies.”
Although the atmosphere on one of Wimbledon’s show courts could have unsettled a less experienced player, Royer said nerves were not the primary issue.
“I went onto the court with a simple mentality: to surprise him, encourage myself from the start and go for it,” he said. “I just didn’t do it because I was missing everywhere and making only unforced errors.”
Reflecting on the opening set, Royer joked that the crowd had little to enjoy.
“At one point I thought the spectators must be bored because there were no rallies,” he said. “The moment a bird came onto the court was the highlight of the first set.”
Despite reaching the second round of Wimbledon for the first time, Royer described his display as well below the standard he expects from himself.
“There was nothing in my legs, nothing in my arm,” he said. “It was really a pathetic performance from me, except maybe at the beginning of the third set.”
The defeat ended Royer’s best Wimbledon run to date, while Zverev advanced to the third round as he continued his pursuit of a maiden title at the All England Club.
