US OPEN

September 8, 2020

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/B. Coric

1-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It is your first semifinal in this Grand Slam. You had already reached it in the Australian Open. Do you think this is a big opportunity for you to win a Grand Slam in your professional career? And you visited Colombia to play a promotional match with Roger Federer. I don't know if you remember that. But unfortunately it had to be canceled. Do you think you can visit our country again in the future?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, to the first question, I think there is a lot of guys with big chances. I'm in the semifinals, so I'm one of those four guys that will be remaining after tomorrow's last match.

So I think everybody has a chance. I still think that I can play better than I played today, which only gives me confidence because I'm in the semifinals and I still feel like I can improve.

And then to your second question, yeah, I mean, I would love to visit it again. We were supposed to in March but then everything got canceled due to Corona. You'd have to ask Roger, but I'd love to visit the country again.

Q. What's different about your mentality and/or your game that has elevated you at the late stage of a Grand Slam? Do you feel like more of a contender now than ever before?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, I have just made back-to-back semis and I'm still in the tournament, so I'm not done yet. I still hope I can make it to the finals and then we'll see.

Yeah, definitely I got more experience and maybe a little bit more calmer in Grand Slams than I have been in the past.

But, yeah, it's the toughest level in our sport, and I feel you have to play at your best, to be at your best to have a chance. I'm in the semifinals, but like I said, I feel like I can still improve a few more things and that only gives me confidence.

Q. How much has having a suite helped you prepare and focus? I know people have had fun watching you. How much will you miss it when it's gone at the next tournament?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, it's been amazing, actually. I mean, everybody saw my shirtless pictures, so that was different, but it's been great. Obviously having your own space, your own little room here on-site -- and normally the US Open is the busiest slam. Now this year we kind of have our quiet. We have everything we need. I think it's different and I think all the top players have been enjoying it.

Q. You said on court that the first part of the match wasn't really the level of a quarterfinal. Curious why you feel you started slowly, and how did you turn it around?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, look, obviously, yeah, I didn't play well. It's no secret about it. I was down 6-1, 4-2 after about 28 minutes. It's not a secret I didn't play my best. But I found a way, found a way to win that second set, and I feel like that's the most important.

I think the Novak news shocked us all, and obviously for us younger guys, we see that as a massive opportunity, but we have to put our head down and just do our job and focus on ourselves.

Q. You have been in this position before, and I'm sure you're not thinking about it when you're playing a match, but how different is it kind of knowing there is a lot of opportunity for whoever takes it?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, it's different. We're going to have a new Grand Slam champion. This is the one thing that we know for sure.

We don't know who it is, but, yeah, there is a lot of guys that want it. There is a lot of guys that are hungry for it. I know that all the young guys are hungry for it, and it's going to be interesting.

Q. When in your career did you first consider yourself someone who could win majors? How has that feeling evolved as time has gone on?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, when you start playing tennis at a young age, this is the thing that you always wanted to do is to play in big tournaments, to play in the big finals, and I feel like this is the reason I started playing tennis.

You've got to be able to handle it. You've got to be to learn with it. For me, it was always about the big moments in big tournaments.

Q. Down a set and a break, what do you think turned it around for you? You have been talking about you have to play better after, following this. What more do you have to do and how much better do you feel you need to play?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I just feel like I can still improve things. I feel like there is still things that I can do better.

But, look, I'm in the semifinals of a major. That means I'm not playing that bad. And I have beaten some good players.

Obviously the draw is not going to get easier. Tomorrow evening there is four of us going to be left, and one of those four guys is going to be crowned a new Grand Slam champion on Sunday night.

So for me, obviously to win a tournament like this or to go deep in a tournament, you have to be playing at your best and be at your best. This is what I'm trying to do, what I'm trying to work on every day and still trying to improve.

Q. What would you say was the reason that you were able to turn the match around after being down a set and a break?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: At some point I told myself, Look, if you keep playing like this, you're going to be down two sets to Love in a blink.

I needed to be more aggressive, needed to go into the rallies and be more stable as well. At the end of the day, this is what I did and this is why it worked out for me.

Q. Just talk about your level a little bit. Martina Navratilova was watching and said you wouldn't beat top players playing like that, and you won't win majors like that with what she called Pat-A-Cake tennis.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: What did she call it?

Q. Pat-A-Cake tennis. It's like Tippy Tappy. Just getting it back in play. I suppose the question is what are your thoughts about it? Do you think the solution you came up with tonight to win that match would win you matches against, say, a Medvedev or Thiem or one of the big 3, I suppose, in another tournament?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Maybe she should look at my record against the big guys. Maybe she should look that I'm positive against Roger. Maybe she should look that I've beaten Novak on multiple occasions in big matches and finals.

And I'm in the semifinals, and sometimes not playing your best and finding a way is more important than playing your best.

But she's a Grand Slam champion, as well, multiple Grand Slam champion, she's respected, but her opinion right now does not matter to me.

Q. The Argentinian coach said during your match he saw the tattoo of the Davis Cup and was impressed. Do you think that the US Open would be that thing...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Would you make a tattoo of the US Open Cup in that case?

Probably not. I would love to win the US Open, but, yeah, I am keeping my body clean right now. I'm not getting any tattoos.

Q. You had such tremendous early success in Masters events and have played so well. Did that kind of thinking affect your going into Grand Slams thinking maybe they were comparable or easier? What was the process there from going to a guy who could win big Masters to a guy who struggled sometimes in majors?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: For me it was mental. I wanted it too much. I was trying too hard in Grand Slams, as well. I needed to learn with that, as well.

As I said, the Grand Slams is a tournament that you play for. This is the reason why you started playing tennis. I needed to learn how to deal with that pressure. I needed to learn how to deal with those expectations of myself.

Yeah, it took me a little bit of time, but, you know, now I'm in the semifinals of the US Open and I definitely don't want to stop here.