Friday, March 7, 2025

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

T. GRIEKSPOOR/A. Zverev

4-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Sascha, with the results since the Australian Open, they haven't been what would be expected of you consistently. How much of the Australian Open final result is still carrying over, and the disappointment and the emotion you showed after that final?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I don't know. Maybe a little bit, but I can sit here and have excuses, but at the end of the day I'm just not playing good tennis at the moment. It's as simple as that.

I'm not playing a level that I want to play, definitely not playing anywhere near what I played in Australia. This is the end result of, I don't know, yeah, maybe Australian Open. But I'm just, yeah, I'm just disappointed with my game. That's No. 1 thing for me.

Q. About Tallon's game, you've seen him enough. Did he bring something different today, you thought?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Not really, but I always struggle against him. He's a complicated player for me, for sure, even though I win, but a lot of them are tight matches. Yeah.

But, you know, he played a good match. There's no question about that. But I have to look at myself a little bit, and it's nowhere near where I want to be.

Q. There is an opportunity for perhaps you or Carlos Alcaraz to become World No. 1 in Jannik Sinner's absence. Is that on your mind at all, do you think?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It was in the beginning. Now it's less, because I'm just playing terrible. So for me, I have to find my game before thinking about that, because to become World No. 1, you have to win tournaments. I'm not past getting first, second round at the moment. So I need to figure that out first.

Q. What aspects of your game do you think you want to work on? What do you think needs the most attention?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: There's a bit of everything. I think I'm serving quite badly the last few weeks. My second serve is fine, but my first serve is terrible.

From the back of the court I'm not playing great. It's everything. You can't really name one thing.

Q. Any long career is going to sort of have its dips.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah.

Q. When you have had these in the past, what have you done in order to sort of get yourself out of them? What works for you, or is it just something that one day...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It's just practice. I practice a lot. You know, I have not -- I played the Australian Open final, and I started practicing less. I keep working, but right now it's not clicking. I have to find a way to make that happen.

Q. Obviously you're just coming from a real tough defeat, but on a more positive note, over your incredible career, what have you been most satisfied? What has given you the most pride about your long career?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think it's best you ask me that question in Miami. Right now it's difficult to answer that.