MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 7, 2021

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/R. Nadal

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Seems like throughout the entire run you've been playing fearless tennis, with great confidence. Can you explain how you've been able to put it all together this week?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: There are weeks like that. I feel like, as I said, I played well in the beginning of the year, then injuries happened. But I feel like I'm going to go back to the right path. I'm doing a good job of that. Hope I can continue playing the way I played in the next matches.

Yeah, it's not going to get easier. Dominic is also a great player. I got to respect that. I got to respect the fights that we've had with him in the past few matches, hopefully be able to go to another Madrid final.

Q. A little bit off topic of today's match. There have been quite a few incidents of defaults, racquet breaking, stuff like that this year. I'm wondering, is the standard changing a little bit? Are players feeling more free to show their emotions? What do you put it down to?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Really, there have been? I don't remember one, to be honest.

Q. Fognini was defaulted. Dzumhur had a problem there. Novak smashed up a racquet pretty violently in Australia. Those were considered more controversial in the past. They seem to be more part of the game now.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I don't know. Maybe emotions is good for the game. Why not show emotions? We're not robots. We're all trying to do our best. Emotions are part of the sport.

I don't know, maybe the bubbles are getting to us a little bit. I know the NBA guys have been not very happy with being in an NBA bubble in Disneyland for, what, three months there. We're in and out of bubbles for nine months now. There's not really an ending. Maybe that's getting to us.

But I don't know. I think emotional is good for the sport. I don't think it's a bad thing.

Q. Beating Rafa on clay, that's a big deal. I think it's only happened 42 times in his whole career. He has sort of a mystique, an aura. How were you able to have the belief in this match? Did a match like 2018 Rome help you start to think you could actually do it on clay against Rafa?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I think that helped. Also it helped that I've beaten him the last few times that we played. Of course it's on hard court, which is very different.

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. To beat Rafa on a clay court in Spain, you have to play your best. I'm extremely happy to have done that. Yeah, we'll see what the next few matches hold for me.