NITTO ATP FINALS

November 13, 2023

Alexander Zverev

Pala Alpitour,Torino

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/C. Alcaraz

6-7, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done. Do you consider this win as your best in 2023? And how scared were you when you fell down in the third set?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, obviously it's a big win. I think here in Turin, you don't have any small wins because you're only playing the best players in the world.

I think Alcaraz has established himself as one of the two best players in the world, that's for sure. He won a Grand Slam last year, he won a Grand Slam this year.

Yeah, it's obviously a very good start to my tournament. I'm looking forward to what's ahead.

THE MODERATOR: And the fall in the third set?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I didn't twist my ankle. I knew exactly that I didn't twist my ankle. I kind of just, yeah, slipped in a way. I slipped through and kind of maybe pinched my Achilles, my capsule a little bit. It was just that.

Hopefully it's nothing too major and hopefully I can continue playing.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you describe your journey through the season with I guess doubt in the beginning of the season after your wound till this Masters in Turin?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, a lot of up and downs, for sure. Maybe you can say the first four, five months of the season were purely downs in a way because I was barely winning matches. I was not competing for events, which was frustrating for me. I was nowhere near to being even in contention for Turin.

I think a lot of ups in the second part of the season. I kind of got back to winning ways. I kind of got back to maybe my old self in a way. That's why I'm sitting here, and I'm happy about that.

Q. Some people call your victory over Carlos a sensation. What do you say about this?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I'm not that bad (laughter). I've beaten good players before.

As I said before, after the injury last year, my first season back, to be back with the top eight players, to be back in Turin, is an achievement for me itself in a way.

But, of course, now that I'm here, I want to win matches. I'm happy with the start today.

Q. I was worried, too, for your ankle. I was happy that it was the left and not the right. Were you afraid that if it was going to happen to the right, it would have been more dangerous?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It was both. Both ankles went through the same motion. I overstretched it, I kind of pinched it. It was both ankles. But as I said, I didn't twist it. I slipped.

There was pain for a minute, minute and a half, like a nerve kind of when you hit your elbow and the nerve... Something like that. It wasn't a nice feeling, but I knew that I was going to be okay.

Q. Alcaraz said the court is the fastest ever or something like that.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: The court?

Q. The court is very fast. What do you think about? Six Love games, 16 aces...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, first, I think I served very well. That helped. Second, the court is very fast. But here in Turin, it's always fast. The altitude maybe plays a factor, as well, a little bit.

But generally speaking, the conditions here are very fast. That's for sure.

Q. I know he's not in your group, but Novak, his eighth year at No. 1. I'm curious, as someone who has played him since the start of your career, how impressive is it that he's maintained his level, especially his movement, for all these years and is still improving?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think he's a player that takes care of his body the best out of everybody. I think he goes through his rituals pretty much every single day. He takes care of himself, and that's his number one priority above everything else. I think he's done extremely well doing that over the last few years.

I think he's 36 years old, but he hooks like he's 26, 27. He might be in even better shape than he was 10 years ago. It doesn't really even seem that he looks like he's going to stop.

Q. Sorry to harp on the foot from today, but was there any sort of momentary flashback to Paris? Also, your record with Carlos is now 4-3 in your favor. You lost to him twice this year. When you look at that sort of record, how important was that win?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: To your first question, flashback? Not really. I think, as I said, it was a completely different motion. I mean, there I really twisted my ankle. I heard pops. Here, as I said, I just slipped.

In the head-to-head with Carlos, yeah, it's 4-3. Who knows how many more times we're going to play with each other. In the beginning of this year, I was nowhere near at his level. I think you saw that in the match in Madrid where I barely won three games. I was nowhere near beating him.

I'm just happy to be back at the level where I'm competitive with those guys, where I feel like I can win, I feel like I can compete for tournaments again.