ROLAND GARROS

October 2, 2020

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/M. Cecchinato

6-1, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's World Smile Day today.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Is it?

Q. I wanted to ask you, what makes you smile on the court, what makes you smile off the court? How hopeful are you that you can give your fans lots more to smile about at Roland Garros this year?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: What makes me smile on the court? When I win. It's kind of a good start.

Off the court? My dogs make me smile a lot. My friends, my family, the people I'm surrounded by.

No matter if I win or lose the French Open, I'll still make you guys smile in one way or the other.

Q. After you were in the last round you posted on your Twitter account, Survive and advance. Can you tell me about your survival techniques on the court and how you developed them? Also, what would your survival techniques be like off the court? How would you cope in the middle of the jungle or desert island? Can you capture fish with your rod? Could you shake down a coconut tree? Can you light a fire with two pieces of wood?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I've never tried any of those things (laughter). I'll probably struggle the first few days. I'll somehow manage to survive, I guess.

No, yeah, the Twitter post was more like everybody saw I didn't play my best, no secret, but I still won. Sometimes you got to find a way. That's what I did in the second round.

Today, as you saw, I played better. I got to keep that up in the next few rounds.

Q. Jannik Sinner, he says he still has to improve on playing the best-of-five sets. He won in three sets so far. Do you think you have any interest in taking him to the distance when you face him?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, I'll try my best. Look, yeah, he won in three sets. I wish I would be like that. I wish I would win every match in three sets, then I wouldn't need to play five sets as well. Sometimes you have to dig deep.

He's young. I've been at his age, where he is at now. I know. Physically, yeah, he probably still needs to improve.

Tennis-wise, as you can see, he's playing absolutely great. There's positives to that. I think his game is showing how good of a tennis player he can be. Looking forward to that first match of ours.