WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 21, 2021

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/S. Tsitsipas

6-4, 3-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Today, incredible match. A lot of ups and downs. How did you find a way to turn it around in the third set?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, I feel every time I play with Stef, especially the last few matches, have been extremely entertaining. There is very tough battles. Always I feel like we are bringing the best out of each other.

It was the case today. I think it was a very entertaining match again.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think the major difference today was between winning and losing?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: One or two points, to be honest. I feel if he holds serve to go up 5-1, I'm probably not going to win the match. But I'm happy about how it went.

I mean, after I broke 4-2 and went outside the court, I started to feel a little bit better, started believing in myself again. I think, yeah, that was the key moment, the key factor. I think that break for 4-2 in the third set.

Q. You get to play against Andrey tomorrow who beat Daniil today. Your thoughts on that match?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, he's playing tennis of his life, I think beating Daniil, who is in incredible form right now. It's going to be of course a tough one but also a fun one.

I have known Andrey since we were 11 years old. We have been pretty much best friends for a long period of time. It's great to see how long of a way we came and that we are kind of, you know, playing the biggest matches and competing for the biggest titles together.

Q. Incredible match. My question is personal. It's about your house. You mentioned you have a place for your trophies. What's your favorite room in your house? You mentioned that you look forward to get home. Is that your bedroom, your kitchen? Do you cook? Do you order out?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I mean, I actually bought the place, and then I was building it for two more years because I was knocking down walls and, you know, opening up a little bit more. So I have like kind of an open kitchen with a dining room and a living room together.

So I like that area. This is also where all my trophies are. I have like, not like a cabinet but different, how do you say it, different shelves for different trophies. I'm very proud of what the apartment looks like now compared to a few years ago.

Q. A win obviously is very encouraging and very satisfying, but when it's a win as it was today, how important is that for you going forward? Second part is what words were exchanged at the net? What did you say to Stef? Sounded like you had something more than -- I'm not saying it was negative, but something more than just "well played" or anything like that.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I said to him that, you know, win or lose today, I have said the same thing to him in Paris, it's always fun to play him, because we have incredible battles. Obviously there is a lot of fire, there is a lot of competitiveness between the two of us. So I feel like that brings the best out of us.

I said, look, I said, it was incredible match and good luck at the US Open. That's all I said. It was a few seconds.

Yeah, the first question, obviously a win like that is very important, because first of all I'm in the final of a Masters Series. That is important in itself. But also, I feel like going into the US Open, having a comeback win like that is a great feeling.

Q. I wanted to ask you if this game you won today was one of the most difficult in your career, I mean, from the context? You win the first set, then there is your anger at Stefanos' delay in the bathroom. He lose the second set. Then in the third he was two break up and you feel this discomfort in your body, or so it seemed from the TV. Then you pull off a fantastic comeback. All this in a semifinal.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I actually started feeling not that great in middle of the second set already. I felt very low energy. My stomach was swirling a little bit.

Yeah, I mean, it was a very dramatic match against one of the best players in the world this year. I think Stef has been playing incredible tennis and is on an incredible level.

I feel like the match that we put on today, without a crowd, wouldn't be the match, if you know what I mean. It would be completely different.

I think it was very entertaining for all the people, but it was also entertaining to play it itself, because I went through a lot of emotions. I mean, first, I was winning, I was playing incredible tennis. Then I had some physical issues. Then I had to come back. I had to dig deep. To come back, to win that match, is a great feeling.

Q. A nontennis question which I have been asking a few players. I know you're getting more used to flying private, but if you're on a long-haul flight --

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'm actually not. I'm very low-key on that.

Q. You did take a few privates just after the Olympics.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I was also hopping from city to city, there was no other way. (Laughter.)

Q. True. But when you're on a long-haul flight, what do you do? Are you one that sleeps the whole...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Sleep. The moment I get on the plane -- sorry for interrupting you, but I guess that's the question. The moment I get on the plane until they tell me to put my seat upright again, I'm out.

I'm actually very lucky with that, because I know some other players don't sleep very well on planes. Car or plane, I am asleep within seconds.

Q. Sounds like me. Do you take the meal service or anything like that or just sleep?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It depends how hungry I am. Normally I try to eat before the flight, because I know the person I am, I'm just going to sleep, but if it's like, you know, a few flights in a row, I probably eat the first meal, and then I'm sleeping the rest of the flight.