QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 20, 2023

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to Doha. Are you excited to be here?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Very. Obviously the field is very, very strong. I think we have a lot of great players here. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

I think it's one of the best 250s, maybe the best 250 that we have on tour. It has gotten the award for that a lot of times. First time for me here, but I'm looking forward to what's ahead.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I would like to know has your injury changed the way you enjoy tennis?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah. When I'm pain-free I enjoy tennis a lot (smiling). Yeah, the last year or so, not year yet, but since June there were a lot of times where that wasn't the case. It took me a very long time to come back.

So even tournaments like Australia, stuff like that, I was still very limited to what I was able to do. I was still not completely pain-free, not being able to move the way I want to move.

It's definitely going into the other direction now. Now I'm starting to really enjoy my time and also starting to find my form a little bit as well, which is a lot nicer, because then you actually have a chance to win which, yeah, I enjoy.

Q. As a follow-up, are you able to play without apprehensions now, or do you constantly have it in the back of your mind when you're running, when you're catching balls?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I don't have it in the back of my mind. It's more, you know, a few weeks ago I used to still get signals from my foot. I used to, once in a while, still get pain. But it is in the right direction, and I feel like I can play pretty freely now.

I felt that way in Rotterdam. I thought I played a lot better in Rotterdam than I did the previous weeks, even though I lost second round, but I lost second round to, in my opinion, a very good player who played well that week.

Yeah, obviously I'm looking forward to next few weeks, and hopefully it still gets progressively better in the right direction.

Q. What was your lowest point last year? Was there a moment where, like, It's terrible?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I think when I kind of reinjured or got a new injury, that was what, September, I think? At that moment I thought I would maybe already be able to play, and then they told me, no, it's going to take another two, three months again.

That was, for me, a little bit tough mentally. I packed my bags and went on holiday. I didn't do any rehab or anything like that again.

But in the same time, that helped me a lot, because I think my foot did need rest. I was trying very hard to come back, and maybe I did a little bit too much.

Yeah, that is in the past now, and hopefully we can look forward without any issues.

Q. What do you think was the biggest obstacle coming back from that injury? Is it the pain or more like lack of instinct or having a tough time to make decisions where you hit the ball or something because of the lack of experience or games?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think for me it was all based on pain sometimes, what I could do, what I couldn't do. Of course then when the pain is gone, it does take matches to be able to play at your best again, but that will take time. That will come with playing tournaments.

That's why I'm here. That's why I'm going to play as many tournaments as I can. But, yeah, for me, as I said, the last nine months now have been difficult, pain-wise and also what I was able to do, but again, that is in the past now, and I really want to look forward.

Q. You have worked with a lot of Spanish coaches. What do you look for in their approach to tennis?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: The mentality. I have said that a lot. I think working with me is sometimes not easy, because I demand a lot. I demand a lot from myself.

I am an extremely hard-working person, in my opinion, when it comes to tennis, when it comes to the physical side of tennis, as well, when it comes to the gym work.

I think there has to be a certain mentality of a coach to be able to handle that. I think maybe a lot of German coaches as well -- I never worked with a German coach, but I know maybe from the mentality does not fit me too good.

Spanish coaches, whether it was David Ferrer, whether it's Sergi now, they fit perfectly. I always said I loved working with David. To be honest, I would have never stopped if it wouldn't have been COVID at that time and the circumstances were not great for traveling, for him to come back to the family because he was also just retired from tennis.

Yeah, I think it's a mentality of the coach and to be able to handle me, as well, to be honest.

Q. Next week Novak Djokovic will be the only one with a record of being No. 1 so many times. What does this milestone inspire to you?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think over the last 10, 12 years he has absolutely dominated tennis. There is a reason why he's been consistently at the top of the game.

That shows us with this record, from male or female tennis players, he's going to be the most weeks at No. 1. He's surpassing Steffi, so as a German, obviously I always loved her having that record, but credits to Novak. I think that shows how great he is.

I'm sure that he's going to break a few more records, to be honest. I'm not sure there are many left, but the ones that are left, maybe he will.

Q. If Andy make it today, he will be your opponent for the next match. Any special preparation for that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, at the end of the day, I take it as a very tough match. He's won this tournament before. He's a Grand Slam champion, so he knows how to play tennis.

I've got to focus on myself and try to be prepared the best way possible.