US OPEN

September 4, 2020

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/A. Mannarino

6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Today is a day with a lot of delays. Can you tell us a little bit, because before you looked very relaxed, I saw you in topless, in Bermudas in your suite, and you seemed to be pretty relaxed. Then suddenly you thought you had won. Then they tell you that you haven't won, you have to go on court. You lose the first set, you're not relaxed any more. Describe these kind of situations.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, it was not in our hands. It was not the tournament's decision or the player's decision to play or not play. It was more politics, bigger people than us.

We were just waiting. They told us 5:00 was the last time we are going to go on court if we're going to go on court. The chances of us going on court were very slim. Yeah, I thought we might not play today anyways.

But, yeah, I'm relaxed. What I do on the court doesn't depend on what I do before the match that much. I'm relaxed. I watched the other match. What else am I supposed to do? I was in my suite.

Yeah, I didn't know the camera was on me that much as well. I only realized afterwards that I was shirtless on TV.

Q. Do you think he was more motivated by the fact that apparently the French, who are still competing, are more or less free, half free, while the others are much more prisoners?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: He has to be in quarantine now as well, I heard. This is actually the last time he was allowed to leave the hotel room for a long period of time.

I feel there was nothing to lose for him. He was playing a little bit for his freedom, in a way. Yeah, it was a difficult match. He's a great player. It was never going to be easy.

Q. Who asked you about the delay of the start? Did you have any say? If so, if you weren't willing to play at 5:00, could you have said you didn't want to?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I don't know that. At the end of the day I always looked at the situation that what if I was in the same situation. I would have wanted my opponent or my fellow players to have an understanding for it.

It was not his fault. It was not the US Open's fault. It was just the situation. There were politics involved.

At the end of the day I think maybe I could have said, I want to play at the time if we're playing, and if he's not on court, bad luck. In my opinion, that was the right thing to do, to wait. This is why I also waited. Give the opportunity to give him the chance. If I was in that same situation, I would think that I would have wanted not to play the match.

Yeah, unfortunately this was how it was. Luckily we did play the match. I think for him and for me it was better.