Zverev Eyes Maiden Grand Slam Title After Reaching Australian Open Final
Alexander Zverev is one step closer to his maiden Grand Slam title after advancing to the Australian Open final following Novak Djokovic's retirement.
Zverev acknowledged that the abbreviated match would not affect his rhythm going into Sunday's final against either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton. “I still think that I played a high-level set. I think we both did,” Zverev told reporters. He emphasized that the match, although shortened, was still a competitive contest. “So in that regard, I still played tennis, right? It's not like it was a withdrawal from the get-go, and I would have had, what, four days off.”
Zverev noted that having four days off would have been detrimental to his preparation for the final. “That would have been maybe a bit too much because then you feel like you're starting a new tournament,” he said. Although he didn't wish for Djokovic's injury, Zverev was grateful for the opportunity to compete for another Grand Slam title. “It's nothing that, of course, I wished for, but it happened. I'm obviously happy that I have another shot at winning a Grand Slam.”
Alexander Zverev has long been touted as a future Grand Slam champion, but he has faced disappointment in his previous major finals. The German player's first Grand Slam final appearance was at the 2020 US Open, where he squandered a two-set lead and lost to Dominic Thiem. Four years later, Zverev reached his second major final at the French Open but was again defeated in five sets by Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev acknowledged that he had struggled with fatigue in the final sets of his French Open loss to Alcaraz. To address this issue, Zverev reunited with trainer Jez Green in the off-season to improve his fitness and endurance. This move was aimed at enabling Zverev to compete more effectively with top players like Alcaraz. Zverev also revealed that he had sought advice from Novak Djokovic in Shanghai last year, following his disappointing quarter-final exit at the US Open. “I was just asking him how it was for him when he was having difficult moments, you know, 2016, '17 and all that, how he was coming back,” Zverev explained. “He was always very open to me. We had very long chats there, as well. We practised quite a lot together in Shanghai, funnily enough.”
🚨 Novak Djokovic has retired from the #AusOpen semi-final with injury 🚨
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 24, 2025
Djokovic stuns the Melbourne crowd as he shakes Alexander Zverev's hand and departs the court after just one set 😱 pic.twitter.com/LUxT3MvRq9
Zverev expressed his admiration and respect for Djokovic, who had offered him support despite his injury-enforced retirement from their semi-final match. Zverev was critical of the fans who booed Djokovic as he exited the court, and he thanked the Serbian player for his kind words. “That means a lot to me, especially from Novak, who I admire and respect so much,” Zverev said. With his sights set on the final, Zverev expressed confidence in his preparation and readiness for the challenge ahead. “As I said, I'm looking forward to Sunday. I do feel like I have done the work, and I do feel like I'm ready for it.”
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