US OPEN

August 28, 2024

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/A. Muller

6-4, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. On to the third round. Straight sets. Assess your performance, where you think your game is at at this point as you move on.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Much better than in the first round, I thought. I thought at some point he also played some very good tennis, especially in the second set.

Yeah, I mean, I'm happy to be through in three sets, because I think weather and conditions are extremely difficult today. It's very hot, very humid. The less time I spend on the court, the better it is.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Muller went out after the first set with a medical timeout, getting treatment during the second set. Did that change your strategy in your game at all?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No. I thought he played better in the second set than he did in the first, so he was going for his shots more. I don't know what he had, to be honest. I thought he played some fantastic tennis, to be honest, and especially the second-set tiebreaker was quite high level. I was down 5-2 and him serving, but I didn't feel like I did much wrong.

I thought he really won the points. Yeah, of course I'm happy to have turned that around, and then ran away with it in the third set.

Q. On a day like today where conditions are so miserable, what are you doing out there to try and survive?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It's not miserable (smiling). Sometimes the rainy days in Paris or Wimbledon, they are more miserable. Today is just hot and humid, but I felt good. I was at some point very, very wet (smiling). The whole court was flooded from me, but I felt good physically. I didn't feel tired, I didn't feel the heat too much like I did in Paris, actually. That's also, you know, a good sign for me.

Q. What are you doing to try and keep yourself cool?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: For me, it's about getting used to the conditions before the match. I try to stay outside as much as I can. I try not to stay in AC, I try not to stay in rooms which are a lot colder than the playing conditions are. I spend all of my time outside.

Obviously it's about hydration, it's about the days before. Yesterday, extra hydration. Today morning, as well. Hoping to get through that.

Q. Having been as close as you've been to winning a major, that can be a positive or a negative psychologically. What has it been for you, and how do you try to use it?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I was very close 2020 here. Obviously I was a few points away from winning the US Open.

I felt like the best tennis I've played was when I got injured against Rafa, so that was tough for me mentally. But, you know, just after the injury, the year that I had so far, and being one set away from the French Open, yes, I didn't win the French Open, and I wish I would have, you know. It would have been a dream come true for me.

But, you know, those kind of tournaments and the level of play this year has shown me, okay, I've recovered from injury, I'm back competing for big tournaments, and I can really go to these kind of events and think about, you know, winning.

That gives me hope. That is something that, you know, I've worked very hard for. Of course one day I want to lift a Grand Slam trophy (smiling). That's no secret for me.

Q. You will next meet Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who played five sets across four hours, a match very different to yours. What are your thoughts about your mindset for that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I played him one time before at the French Open last year, and it was a quarterfinal match and I thought he was playing the best tennis of his life back then. But yeah, he's a young player, he's very aggressive, very tall, as well, somebody who moves very good for his size as well.

I'm expecting a tough match, for sure. I hope I can still improve my game, I can still, you know, make myself play better and better every match, and we'll see how it will be after tomorrow.