Tennis professional Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open: “It’s kind of annoying”

Dhe last Friday before the start of the Australian Open is a special day for the world’s best tennis professionals. The Media Day is pending. In 15- and 30-minute shifts, players give questions and answers, and there are a lot of things to clarify, especially at the start of the new season. However, you don’t always have to imagine the traditional meeting between athletes and media professionals as stiff and humorless.

Coco Gauff, according to the business magazine Forbes The highest-paid woman in global sport, with earnings of a good 27 million euros in 2025, has retained her clever directness to this day. When it was the 21-year-old American’s turn, she chatted amusedly about the streaming series “Heated Rivalry”. “I just heard people talking about a hockey series, a gay hockey series. That interested me. It’s such a beautiful love story,” she said cheerfully. Something like that is also discussed here.

Things became more technical when world number one Jannik Sinner, winner of the last two Australian Opens, gave insights into playful aspects. The Italian explained that he wanted to go to the net more often and smarter, and he had also been working on his serve. And yes, he is happy that his trainer Darren Cahill is continuing to work with him despite other plans. Things also got serious when Carlos Alcaraz was asked again about his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero; the surprising separation of the two at the end of 2025 still resonates. The 22-year-old Spaniard assured that everything was fine and that his team was the same – except for one person. And of course he is aiming for his first victory in Melbourne; he has already won the other three Grand Slams twice. These statements weren’t really earth-shattering, but that’s how it is when everyone is shuffling their hooves before the first Grand Slam tournament of the season begins.

At 3:15 p.m. local time (Germany is ten hours behind) Alexander Zverev entered the main interview room. As third in the world rankings, he is still one of those who can have the honor of being in the main media room, and basically there wasn’t much to share about him. But then he revealed a lot. The 28-year-old, you have to give him that, doesn’t wear a mask at press conferences. If he has an opinion about something, he says it, then he’s not an actor.

“Ending the year as number three with so many injuries and problems is still a success somewhere,” says Zverev

In the German part of the press conference, the conversation was initially objective. Zverev said that despite a recent defeat in the United Cup against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, he was feeling great. “I’m ready to go on the pitch on Sunday,” he said. He starts on the first official day of the tournament against the Canadian Gabriel Diallo, 24, who is number 41 in the world rankings. he considers it dangerous. “He has a huge game, he serves at 230 and can play very quickly from the baseline.” Zverev, however, also knows: “If I play my game and I’m in the best shape, then I’m a very difficult lot for everyone.”

The question, of course, is what his game will look like in 2026, because even though he has been a world-class man for ten years, he is still missing the Grand Slam title he longs for; in this regard he is still the unfinished one. Zverev assured that he now wanted to act “with a little more pull and a little more speed on the slightly lighter balls”. And, listen and be amazed, he concentrated on “serving and volleying” during his preparation for the season.

When Zverev was briefly asked about his private life and his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla, the banter was suddenly over. He started with a basic lecture about how he doesn’t always see himself portrayed correctly in the media. He spoke reflectively, not complainingly or whining. “I lead a wonderful life. I’m super happy with what I have and what I’ve achieved and how I can live my life,” he concluded. “But it’s just annoying sometimes. It’s kind of annoying when people don’t concentrate on the facts or sometimes pull the truth out of their asses.” He didn’t get any more specific than that.

As an athlete, he sometimes feels judged too harshly. “Of course I didn’t have the year I was hoping for last year,” Zverev continued. “But it’s also a fact that I felt like I had ten injuries. Finishing the year as number three with so many injuries and problems is still a success somewhere.” He does know: “Sure, I didn’t win a Grand Slam last year, I didn’t win a Masters tournament, I only won one title. This isn’t a good year for me, I know that.” His counter-argument: “But you also have to take all the other things into account. Many people might have ended the year earlier. And then they might not be number three in the world, but number ten. I can be a little proud of that too.”

Zverev spoke calmly, like a lawyer on his own behalf; it was obviously good for him to get rid of it all. Perhaps one could classify his explanations as a final clean-up so that one could have peace and quiet now. Last year he only failed in the final against Sinner, now he hopes to take the final step in his 40th Grand Slam tournament. In any case, he is confident: “I have the feeling that I have already been training very well and hard for ten days. I don’t need extra training days.”