Alexander Zverev will give his premiere at the ATP Finals in London. The German number one in conversation with the Süddeutsche Zeitung about his emotions, his father and his desire for competition.
Extensive interviews with Alexander Zverev, especially in German, are a scarce resource. Gerald Kleffmann of the Süddeutsche Zeitung has had a remarkable conversation with the world’s number three newspaper in London. Here are some excerpts.
Alexander Zverev on…
… his competitive instinct:
If there’s no competition, I get bored. No matter what I do, I have to do something with Competition on a day off. It’s part of my personality. When I’m with my brother Mischa, it’s always like we play for something. The winner then makes fun of the loser.
… the sacrifices his parents had to make for their sons’ tennis careers:
I always know what they’ve done without. It’s absolutely helping me stay on the ground. I know you have to give up something to get somewhere in life. That is why I want to seize every opportunity and become better. I am infinitely grateful to my parents.
… about the coaching mentality of his father Alexander sr:
Of course he can be strict. But he’s more of a quiet man. In tennis, parents sometimes have control over everything in their children. They want control over their personal lives, over friends. He’s very smart. He understands that he’s the tennis instructor. And my personal one is my personal life.
about his emotions on the court:
I show my emotions automatically because I dive completely in a match. I think that if you don’t show any emotions in tennis, you also signal that it’s not so important to you. I want the audience to see how much I want to win every match. I’m not going to tame my emotions. They’re part of me.
The complete interview with Alexander Zverev can be found in the current weekend edition of the Süddeutsche Zeitung.