ROLAND GARROS

September 27, 2020

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/D. Novak

7-5, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously after the US Open you must be pretty happy with how you started here.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah. I won, which is important (smiling). Yeah, but, I mean, obviously I didn't play any clay court matches before coming in here, simply didn't have the time with Dominic.

Yeah, conditions are obviously very different than the US Open. First of all, we play on a different surface. Then we play in very cold temperatures.

So, yeah. Happy to get through, because Dennis is somebody that plays well on this surface. He can, you know, beat good players. I'm happy to be through, yeah.

Q. This year has been very different...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: There you go. Finally.

Q. How you doing?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: We're back.

Q. We're back. This year has been very different. You spent time in a bio bubble in New York, maybe for longer than you expected. People kept telling me you hadn't packed enough shirts to take with you to wear. And now you're in a different but similar situation in Paris right now. Tell us, what are the biggest challenges of life in the bio bubble? Are there any things that you actually prefer in the bio bubble?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I have to say New York was a lot of fun, actually. How they did the bubble, how they structured it, it was actually quite well done. The hotel, we had it just for ourselves, as players. We had a lot of different games set up, we had a lot of different activities set up. The on-site stuff was amazing, I think, with a mini golf course, with basketball hoops, with everything that you can imagine they did.

So I've got to give credit to US Open because I was very skeptical about the whole event before I went beforehand. Once I arrived there, it was great.

Here maybe is a little bit different. Here the hotel, there are other guests staying, you know. But still I think Roland Garros is doing everything they can to make it as well run as possible. Here the plus side is that we do have spectators, a little bit. Not obviously the full crowd. But we do still have spectators, which is quite nice.

So, yeah, the two events are different to each other, but both I think are run the best they can with I think New York really doing an incredible job there.

Q. It certainly wasn't the case tonight. You served beautifully. But when you are struggling with your second serve, what do you do or can you do to fix it?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I didn't struggle today, did I?

Q. No.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I didn't need to fix it.

Q. What did you do between the US Open and now with that serve, if anything?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I was on a boat in Monaco doing nothing at all. Then I came here. Then I practiced. Now I'm gonna play hopefully seven matches here, six more, and then we'll see.

Q. You mentioned the cold temperature. Assuming that slows the ball traveling and such, how do you account for that? Is that something where maybe you change the tension of your racquet? Do you change your tactics a little bit? How much does that impact you guys?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I'm stringing three kilos less than I did in New York. That's quite a lot.

Yeah, look, we all have to adjust. This is not in any way perfect for us players, as well. We would have rather played it in May-June, this event.

As I said, Roland Garros I think is doing the best job possible to hold this event. I think all the players are happy to play. I think all of the players are just happy to be playing tennis at all right now. A lot of tournaments, like Wimbledon or something like that, they just said we're not holding it this year. We're going to wait until the pandemic ends, and that's it.

But as I say, credits to New York and to Paris right now for holding the event and trying their best to be here.

I mean, obviously, yes, it is not nice playing in 10 degrees and rain most of the days that we are going to be playing here, because I don't think the weather is going to get much warmer in the week's time or so.

Yeah, as I said, right now we're all just happy to be playing tennis.

Q. You spoke on court about proving people wrong. Do you feel that's given you extra motivation in 2020 considering the slam results you're getting?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, I'm probably the third-best player this year when it comes to slam results, right? After Novak and after Dominic.

I obviously do want to win one. I obviously do want to win more than one. I was two points away on multiple occasions in New York.

That obviously was very upsetting, and obviously was in a way frustrating, but at the same time I know how close I've gotten. I had one hand on the trophy, but I do believe that I can win them now.

We'll see how it goes here. Obviously it's not going to be the easiest slam for me with how the conditions are, with how the preparation was for me. But, yeah, we'll see how it goes now, the French Open and the following years to come, as well.

Q. On your preparation, obviously New York was such a big mental and physical effort from you, so how big a challenge was it to get yourself prepared for another slam so soon?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Physically I'm fine. Mentally obviously was difficult for me. The following days after New York, I mean, you don't want to be the first man in 70 years or whatever it was to lose a Grand Slam final from two sets to Love up.

But as I said also in New York, I feel like Dominic was the one that deserved it more, and not only on that day but basically the last year and a half or so I feel like he was the better tennis player. Last year and a half, he was the one that was getting closer to it.

In my mind I was also happy for him, because he is a friend to me. I do believe that he is gonna win more Grand Slams, but, you know, I think the one in New York was quite important for him.

Q. I saw the other day your Instagram posting your arrangement with Ferrer. I don't know if you saw the comment from Serena that she kind of wanted the heads-up for that and what do you reckon Serena would be like as a coach?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Did you see my response?

Q. No, I haven't.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: She'd be a great coach. I get along super well with her. We have a laugh every time we see each other. We have a talk every time we see each other.

But, yeah, honestly, do I believe she's going to be coaching after she's done with tennis? No. She doesn't need to. She has other things to do. But, yeah, it was a funny moment.

But I think in anything that she's involved in in tennis, she's going to be great at, because, you know, she is probably the greatest female tennis player of all time. She has such a great tennis mind. I think in whatever she does involved with tennis she's going to be good at.