Alexander Zverev feels the support of Roger Federer – and he can also laugh heartily about the jokes of the Swiss superstar. In an interview with Sportbild,”Sascha” Zverev also reveals that his body stands between a resounding success at a Grand Slam tournament.
Exceptions confirm the rule: in any case, the fact that it is not always warmly laughed at when Zverev meets Federer is documented. After the 20-year-old’s third round out at the Australian Open in mid-January against South Korea’s Hyeon Chung, for example, the Grand Slam record champion comforted the excessively disappointed Zverev in the catacombs. Tenor of Federer’s monologue in the stomach of the Rod Laver Arena:”Come on, Sascha, don’t despair! You’re so young. By the way, the Swiss, the oldest number one of all time since Monday, has reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the age of 21.
And because Zverev Federer trusts him, he has taken the words of the 36-year-old to heart. Zverev and Federer – it’s a special combination that benefits the world number five. Also because the GOAT (Greatest of all time) makes the 16 years younger Zverev laugh again and again. Since they won the Laver Cup in Prague last year side by side, the then so successful European team has had a WhatsApp group. The members are, besides “Sascha” and the “FedExpress”, Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic and Tomas Berdych. But:”Roger is the funniest of all, he likes to send jokes and funny videos. You wouldn’t believe that if you didn’t know Roger,”said Zverev in an interview with Sportbild.
The Spanish king of Paris, Nadal, is also said to contribute a great deal to the general amusement,”but he answers more than to send something himself,”the German betrayed. And Zverev, who will be competing at the tournament in the Mexican seaside resort of Acapulco next week, doesn’t hide his fascination with the relationship between eternal rivals Federer and Nadal,”Roger and Rafael are generally struck by the way Roger and Rafael treat each other with respect. They’ve played countless important games against each other, but they’ve gotten along great,”said the 2017 winner of Rome and emphasized:” That’s great.
In the search for reasons for the big breakthrough in one of the four Grand Slam events, 1.98 m chicken Zverev also sees his altered body:”I have gained more than 16 kilograms since 2014. Pure muscle mass. I have become faster and stronger, but that also changes my game,”said Zverev. He, who celebrated five tournament triumphs in the past season (including the Masters in Rome and Montreal) and at times ranked third in the ATP ranking, plays harder and pushes the pace. But against the change-over, balls that would otherwise fit “land in the fence.
When asked if he had a greater chance of winning a Grand Slam title or a Davis Cup triumph with the DTB team, Zverev replied:”I think that both goals can be achieved. Boris Becker also has an influence on the election Monegassen in his position as Head of Men’s Tennis in the German Tennis Association (DTB)”Boris is a very positive person. He is one to be listened to,”Zverev said,”I only listen to people I trust. Boris needs to be listened to.”