MUNICH, April 16, 2023
The wait is over: Alexander Zverev is back in Munich competing in the BMW Open by American Express for the ninth time. The two-time champion of the ATP 250 clay-court event met the media on Sunday afternoon at the MTTC Iphitos.
“It’s pretty cold here,” were Zverev’s first words at his press conference Sunday in Munich. A frosty 8 degrees Celsius awaited the German No. 1 after his appearance at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Nonetheless, he is happy to be back in Germany.
“I always like to play at home and Munich is a place I have good and not so good memories of. My performance depends a lot on the weather. Rain and cold are not ideal for my style of play. I like to play aggressive and fast on clay. When the weather was good, I was able to win this tournament twice. So I hope it will improve the upcoming days and we will have a good week here,” Zverev stated.
Good performance in Monte-Carlo
The World No. 16 told the media that he was pleased with his performance at the first clay-court event of the season in Monaco. “I played a good match against Roberto Bautista-Agut but also had to compete in the evening when the conditions were slower. I hope that my game will still improve over the next couple of weeks.” Zverev feels physically fit but needs a couple of more matches to consider himself as to be back at 100 per cent.
Alexander Zverev 🇩🇪 is back in Munich. Asked about his conflict with Daniil Medvedev in MC he stated:
“I have never used a bathroom break to my advantage or taken an unnecessary time out. I win and lose with tennis and I’m very proud of that.”#ATPTour #Munich #BMWOpen pic.twitter.com/UG4Um7Beco
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) April 16, 2023
Asked about his conflict with Daniil Medvedev after the quarterfinals at Monte-Carlo, the World No. 16 responded: “I have never used a bathroom break to my advantage or taken an unnecessary time out. I win and lose with tennis and I’m very proud of that. I think people should form their own opinions. If he wants to talk to me, he is very welcome to do so. I have no problem with that.”
New rivalries in tennis
Does Zverev feel a new kind of competition with some of the young players having already made it to the top of the game? “During the last years I was on the tour, there was Rafa, Roger and Novak. Those were three competitors that you can’t compare with anyone else,” said Zverev.
“Of course there are many good young players like Sinner, Rune and Alcaraz. I think tennis is in good hands. But that certainly includes my generation. The spectators can look forward to more matches between Sinner and Alcaraz in the future. The two have a good relationship. This could be a new ‘Rafa-Roger rivalry’.”
