ATP Finals: Dominic Thiem as environmentalist, Roger Federer with Da-Capo wishes

Two days before the start of the ATP Finals in London, the eight individual participants in the Media Day have faced the international press.

By Jens Huiber from London

After all Alexander Zverev has stuck to the given plan, came shortly after 13 o’clock local time on the podium in the interview Room 1 of the London O2 Arena. Zverev’s group was supposed to kick off the Media Day, where all participants of the ATP Finals will give information about the current sensitivities (all), the future of the event in London (Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic), but also the future of tennis.

Watch the ATP Finals in Germany now and be there live for only € 9.99 with your Sky Ticket until the end of December. Easy to cancel monthly.

That’s exactly what is to be tried out in Milan these days, and, according to the German number one, it’s going to stay exactly there. Although Alexander Zverev is the youngest in the field, he is already a pioneer in terms of tradition. He had already found the new format of the Davis Cup final tournament not good in the past weeks, when asked whether he could imagine that the sets would only be played up to four on the ATP Tour, the 21-year-old simply declared: “No”.

Perhaps industry leader Djokovic has a similar opinion, but the Serb’s answer to the same question was somewhat more diplomatic. The tennis sport must inspire the Millennials for itself, it does not dislike even its changes at all. A few things that would be put to the test in Milan would already appeal to him, says Djokovic. Which exactly are they, he left open.

The big absentee in London is Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard will again this year not be able to fill one of the few blank positions in his resume with a winning photo from the ATP Finals. The operation on Nadal’s ankle, however, saved Novak Djokovic from unpleasant enquiries, while the controversial show fight against Nadal in Saudi Arabia fell victim to the Mallorcan surgery.

Roger Federer has taken the longest time, as usual in three languages. He would immediately take a season like this year again, after all he had won his 20th Major title in Australia. After the semi-final defeat against Djokovic in Paris, he flew back to Zurich, where he accompanied the children to tennis training. He himself plays with the boys as often as possible, but at some tournament venues this is difficult to organize.

Watch the ATP Finals in Austria now and be there live for only € 9,99 with your Sky Ticket until the end of December. Easy to cancel monthly.

Dominic Thiem does not have to worry about such things yet, the Austrian will play his opening match against Kevin Anderson on Sunday. Thiem defeated the South African twice this year, but the conditions for this were completely different in Madrid and at the US Open than in London.

Anderson has recently become more involved in environmental protection in the players’ council, and Dominic Thiem is happy to support this cause. Most of the plastic had had its day at the season finale, the drinks would now be offered in glass bottles, and newly covered rackets would no longer be delivered in plastic foil. A basic consensus on which all players can agree.

But of course the focus is on the sport, Thiem will train with Zverev on Saturday, a reunion in the competition is possible in the semifinals at the earliest. These are scheduled for Saturday at 14:00 and 20:00. It is to be expected that the qualified players will actually be on the court on time at the announced times.