US OPEN

September 7, 2023

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Zverev

6-3, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were hitting the ball really well. You had your chances, and you were right in that match despite the scoreline. Do you feel that way, that it was just about him being able to play the breakpoints and just being able to be fortunate enough to play good but also lucky on some?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I was in the match the first set, yeah. I could have broken, it could have gone my way, it didn't. Then the second set I felt something in my hamstring glute, left side. I couldn't push off on my serve anymore. My serve speed was down quite a lot compared to the other days. Against him especially I needed a good serving day otherwise it would have been difficult.

Yeah, I think my biggest weapon was kind of taken away after the first set, and yeah, it's difficult to even compete if you don't have that.

Q. On that, was that something that was troubling you after that lengthy match against Jannik?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I felt nothing. I felt nothing going into the match. Yeah, it just kind of appeared. The problem is that it's really bothered me. It bothered me running a little bit, but the biggest problem is pushing off on my serve.

Yeah, I think if the serve speed goes down, percentage goes down, it's very difficult to compete with Carlos.

Q. Aside from the injury, how much did it take out of you tonight the match against Sinner?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Oh, yeah, I mean, everything, to be honest. I think we were both physically done after that match. I thought I recovered quite well.

Just looking at the facts, I think we finished at 1:30 at night. You know, we played 4 hours, 40 minutes. For that I think I recovered quite okay.

But yeah, today wasn't enough to be competitive.

Q. How would you describe Carlos' game right now and the challenge that he poses for anybody, for yourself and all the best players who are competing with him for the top of the game?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I mean, I played Novak in Cincinnati, I played Carlos here. I think they are very, very similar from the level of the game.

There are some things that Novak does better; there are some things that Carlos does better. I think they are at a level of their own at the moment. Yeah, the other guys gotta catch up. That's as simple as that.

Q. If I could sort of follow up on that, with Carlos, I get that from the second set on you weren't yourself, but early on in the first set, especially 3-3 there you had those chances. Does he raise his level on those key points? Did he do anything that troubled you particularly on those break chances you had at 3-All?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: If I remember correctly, I think we were in the rally once, and I missed a backhand down the line. I think maybe I shouldn't have gone for that because I was winning quite a lot of rallies until that point. Second breakpoint I don't remember, to be honest.

I mean, I don't know. It's tough to say, because there was only a few important moments in this match, to be honest, which he played well. Maybe I went for a wrong decision, wrong shot, in a way.

But I thought even though I lost first set I thought it was going to be a competitive match. I thought my level was there. I thought his level was there. I thought it was going to be a fun one.

I think first or second game, I think first game already in the second set I felt something wrong. Then I didn't give up, but there is very little you can do in a way against Carlos then.

Q. What made you not call for the trainer? Did you want to call for the trainer in the third set?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I hate calling the trainer. I think, for me, a lot of players do it to disrupt the rhythm. For me, a lot of players do it for the wrong reasons.

I just hate it, because at the end of the day you call the trainer but I don't know what I have, right? But if you have a muscle tear or you have something wrong, what the hell is he going to do in three minutes? He's not going to heal it in three minutes. That's not gonna happen. I think a trainer is good for maybe taping, retaping your ankles, maybe taping something else.

But at the end of the day, you know, I came to the locker room, he pushed it a little bit, he felt that something is wrong. He told me that, you know, it might be a small tear. But obviously I don't know, so don't say I lost because of the tear.

But at the end of the day it's not going to go away, especially if you go out there and have to sprint for dropshots three minutes later.

For me, yeah, I'm not that type of player. I don't like it. I don't like when other players do it, so I really leave it till the last moment kind of.