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LAVER CUP

September 22, 2018

Alexander Zverev

Chicago, Illinois

A. ZVEREV/J. Isner

3-6, 7-6, 10-7

Team Europe - 5

Team World - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The Europeans tend to have a little less emotion, but then you slammed a racquet down at 2-5 in that first tiebreaker and went on a crazy run after that. Coincidence or not?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, I have said it many times: when I show emotions, I'm a better player. I mean, sometimes it goes well; sometimes it doesn't. But most of the time it helps me.

Q. Did it help today?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: For sure.

Q. How good did that backhand feel saving the match point? And also, the relief at winning it eventually when you dropped to your knees?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, it was just a natural thing to do. There was a lot of emotions involved. Obviously all the great players supporting and the whole team spirit and the whole team atmosphere was great.

I felt the match was a very high-level match. Obviously at the beginning I kind of broke myself. But after that, it was very good.

Q. You guys are having a great time. Everyone loves the event. The crowds are here. How much team kind of competition do you think the tour can make? Is the tour making a mistake by sticking with the format it's used all this time? Would it be better to have more of these kinds of events?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think these events are very fun. I think for everybody involved and watching, they are very entertaining.

We kind of talked about it before. I mean, maybe we should have, like, a Championships League like they do in soccer, maybe in tennis for two months of the year or something like that.

But that would be great where, if all the top players play, you know, and kind of the hometown and the home city get involved, as well, it would be a fun thing.

Q. When you say we have talked about it, do you mean just among yourselves?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, just us at dinner.

Q. Tennis is such a psychological game. The mind is so important. The Europe team has three of the greatest players in the game. A real dominant feel. And then in slams, they have been won by the big five for years and years. Just talk about the psychology of being on top, the importance of breakthroughs. Is it hard to break through when you haven't gotten to a certain level? Could you just talk about that quality in this sport?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think, yeah, mentally you have to be strong to be one of the best players in the world. I think all of us are showing that. We all play our best tennis in the most important moments. This is what helps us.

Obviously back to the slam question, you know, I just took Ivan as a team member. I think it's a process. Everyone thought I was going to win the US Open now, but it doesn't work like that. It's a process of putting in the work.

I actually do believe that next year is going to be very exciting for me at the Grand Slams.

Q. Do you think you'll do well? And do you think it's hard for the World Team to break through just knowing that you have so many top players on your team?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, they lost -- they lost three match tiebreaks so far? Two with having match points. So it's actually very, very close. You know, we're not going to give them anything. Obviously a lot more matches are played. A lot more points are going to be played out. We only have 5 points. You need 13 to win this competition. A lot more stuff can happen.

Q. I have a question from the Laver Cup Twitter from the fans. If Laver Cup was created before, which now-retired players would you put together on Team Europe?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Which now-retired players? I mean, Roger, Rafa, Novak, Safin -- only retired?

Safin, BjÃ¶rn Borg, Boris.

Q. Stefan?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Wilander. Just let me do that myself now, please (smiling). Rod Laver would be on Team World, that's for sure. So like Henri [sic] Lacoste maybe? I'm trying to get every generation in possible.

Q. Your own coach?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No way (smiling). He's boring. He's a good coach though.

Yeah, I'll put Stefan in there, Edberg.

Q. When we talked in Washington, we talked about Davis Cup when it was going to be at the end of the year, and then you said you pretty much want to be on a beach instead of playing Davis Cup at the end of the year because of the schedule. And after today you said that Laver Cup, you --
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'm still not playing Davis Cup in November. That's not gonna happen.

Q. What I was going to ask you is about the team camaraderie. Obviously they are different aspects. It's country versus team. What can be done there to balance everything out in your opinion in terms of slotting everything in so that it works for everybody?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Look, I always love playing the Davis Cup, the old form that it was. I always love playing team competition. This one is obviously a great one, as well.

So, for me, team competition is always big highlight of the year. You know, it's kind of sad now that the Davis Cup will be played in November, because I'm sorry, but I can't play tennis for 11 1/2 months a year. I need some time off, as well.

It's nothing against the Davis Cup. I love the Davis Cup. I love my country. I love my teammates. But if they put any other event end of November, I'm also going to not play it.

In the end of the day, we still want to prepare ourselves the best we can for the new season. We want to give ourselves some time off. This is the only time we can get off.

We want to try to be the best we can for Australia. And playing until December is just, I mean, that's just ridiculous for me.

Q. There has been a little bit of talk moving it from November to September.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I'm not sure that's possible, by the rules. That's the only problem. That would have been nice, but we'll see.

Q. What's it like for a young player to see two fierce rivals like Roger and Novak sort of being on the same side of the court, interacting behind the scenes? What's it like for you to watch that?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It's special. It's very, very special. We all enjoy it. I mean, we all enjoyed watching the doubles yesterday.

They are great team players and also very good guys. I understand myself with both of them great. I told you guys before, I mean, Roger is very supportive. Novak has talked to me a lot about tennis, about outside of tennis, as well. So it's great to have those two guys here for the week.

Q. Do you think you could be as friendly with someone that you were competing for Grand Slams against down the road?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think I'm competing for Grand Slams with them right now, no? Or next year hopefully (smiling).

Q. From what I see, you have a great rapport with Roger. What's the one thing you have learned the most from just talking with him or listening to him or being with him?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, everybody's different. You can't really take things from other people. They do stuff different. As I said, they take every practice 100% serious and they try to improve. They try to get something in that -- they are working on something all the time.

At the age of 37, he still tries to be better than he was yesterday. It's very fun to watch.

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