ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2021

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/R. Safiullin

7-6, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First match, it wasn't such an easy match, a bit of a struggle. Today was a lot easier. Is first week in a Grand Slam, is it tricky for players? What is the pressure like? Is it different than a second-week pressure?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, first week you play against guys, some of them play first, second, third time of a Grand Slam. They're very motivated. They're excited to play on the big courts, like I thought today.

You said the match was easier. I don't think it was that much easier, to be honest. I think he played a fantastic match. Yeah, I'm happy to be through in three sets. The match definitely wasn't easy.

Q. You played Roman quite a lot as a junior. What do you think it is that has taken him this long to get to this level? You were sort of contemporaries. Some players make it fast, some take a long time. What's the reason?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think in his case it was really injuries. He had a lot of injuries coming from the juniors to the seniors. I know him, I know the guys around him, as well. For a few years he really didn't play consistently.

So, yeah, I think in his particular case, of course it's tennis, they have to adjust to the adult tennis, but in his case it was definitely injuries that I think stopped him.

Q. I'd like to get a comment from you about the fact that a media pass was revoked to Jonathan, the journalist from Yorkshire, because he asked you a question from a supermarket the other day. They revoked the pass, his media pass. Now apparently they're discussing maybe they give it back. Don't you think sometimes we should be more easy about this matter and we don't need to be so liturgical. It's not a church. We can smile sometimes in the press conference. Do you think it was very unprofessional what he did that he deserved to have the media pass revoked?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'm not a politician. I play tennis. I come to talk to you guys. That's okay.

Jonathan for me is a very nice guy. I hope he gets his media pass back. I don't want to be the reason why he lost his media pass. I think he did it more as a joke. But the other way around, I also do jokes sometimes that are taken the wrong way, then I get a lot of, you know, shit storm by a lot of you guys.

I can't really say much. I mean, it's not my decision. I, of course, would like him to have his media pass back because I think he's a very nice person, a very nice guy. But, again, it's not my decision and I'm not a politician.

Q. In the first round you came from two sets down to win. Today you were a break down in the second and third. You said it wasn't easy. Being resilient, you bounced back in each of those sets, is it something you think is one of your strengths in particular?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, look, it would be nice not to have to do it every single time. But if I have to do it, it's nice to know that I can. Same thing as I said in the first round. Obviously I don't do it on purpose. I don't go into the match and say, Okay, my tactic is I'm going to be a break down, I'm going to fight back and come back. That's not how it works. I'm a break down most of the time because I played unfocused games or the opponent played well.

As I said, today, especially last two sets, they could have gone both ways, especially the third. The second I thought I was in control more.

But, yeah, again, I think I'm happy to be through in three sets. I'm happy not to have played another five-setter. I think it's going to be important for me during the course of this tournament. I'm looking forward to the next match.

Q. I wanted to ask you about your serve, your second serve. Do you feel more confident about it now after 2019 and 2020? When would you say the turnaround happened with that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, look, I worked a lot of long hours with it. I worked a lot on that part of the game. I think everybody knows that. I think with a lot of hard work it improves.

Yeah, it's just a constant improvement.