Everything counts for Zverev: The player who knows him best, hunting a Grand Slam & More | ATP Tour

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Everything counts for Zverev: the player who knows him best and his search for a Grand Slam

The German speaks exclusively for atptour.com

April 28, 2025

Alexander Zverev has long thrown out at Mutua Madrid Open, where he has won two of his seven ATP Masters 1000 titles.

The German pursues another crown this week in the Magic Box, where it is the first standard head.

Atptour.com met with Zverev to know the keys of the two -time Nitto ATP Finals. No. 2 of the PIF ATP Ranking spoke about his favorite rivalries in the Lexus ATP Head2head, why Madrid is his favorite tournament to play, which player knows him better and much more.

What is your favorite tournament and why?
The most special tournament is to play the finals [Nitto ATP]because you know that you qualify for him as one of the eight best players in the world, so it is always very special. But my favorite tournament is probably Madrid. It is the most successful tournament. I love the stadium, I love the atmosphere. I love playing there.

What is your favorite tennis rivalry?
Of all time, I like the rivalry between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. I loved when I was a child. I also loved the rivalry between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, the three together. I really liked the tsitsipas-medvedev rivalry. Now, Sinner-Alcaraz. There is always some new, but there is always some interesting.

Who is your biggest rival?
With whom I have played most is with Medvedev. I do not think we have played the most important matches of our careers, not the most important. I think that the most important games of my career I have played against Novak, Carlos, Jannik. But Medvedev and I are the ones who have played the most against each other.

Is it almost weird when you know someone so well and you know what they are going to do?
The person I know best and the person who knows me best is Andrey Rublev, because we have been playing against each other since we were 10 years old. And it’s curious, when we play together, he knows where I’m going to serve. I know where your right is going to hit. So, in a way, it is sometimes like playing ping pong.

But it is different when you play against someone for the first time, when you try to meet the other. When you play against someone for 15 years, you know every blow to do. So, without a doubt, it is different. It is part of our sport and that is the interesting thing about tennis.

¿What has been a unique moment in your career? A moment that stands out when you think about your career
There have been a few. It is very difficult to choose. I will always remember the first ATP title, in St. Petersburg, against Stan. He had just won the US Open a few weeks before. First Masters title [1000] In Rome. FIRST TITLE OF THE FINALS [Nitto ATP]. The gold medal [olímpica]. It is difficult to choose, but I think the most special is Tokyo. But I hope to have more memories throughout my career

What is the biggest thing you have pursued?
Win a Grand Slam. That is the most obvious answer to me right now.

Is persecution exciting?
I would love to stop chasing, get one sooner rather than later. This has been my career. I have already been in several endings, I have lost some hard battles. But I’m still here and I’m going to all.

Is there anything you could do for being a tennis player who has been great outside the track?
I think if you are an elite tennis player, an elite athlete in general, you have some privileges more than others. They invite us to some games. I have played an exhibition game in some of the best stadiums in the world, I have played football at the Bayern Munich stadium. Those things are special and I know that only with them thanks to tennis.