Alexander Zverev’s on- and off-court drama

When Alexander Zverev left the French Open last year and was in a wheelchair. He was in tears.

After tearing ligaments in his right ankle while running for a ball, Zverev was forced to retire from eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Zverev was hoping to win his first major title after winning the ATP Finals twice and capturing a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. He was also the runner-up at the 2020 United States Open.

Zverev has faced many setbacks, much of which was self-inflicted. A public feud with a former cop over money was settled out of court. Allegations of domestic violence by a former girlfriend dogged him for about two years, prompting an investigation by the ATP, which ultimately found no substantial evidence of the claims. And after throwing a tantrum on the field after a double loss last year, Zverev was fined $40,000 and put on 12 months’ probation for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Still, Zverev remains one of the most industrious workers on tour.

The following interview has been edited and shortened.

You are known for your physical strength on the court. But the game is also mental. Which is more difficult for you?

I always feel that when I do the work I am mentally prepared as well. If I’ve done everything I can to be ready to win, I have nothing to worry about. If you don’t play well, you don’t play well. Sometimes things happen that you have no control over in any sport, especially in tennis because it is a unique sport.

You’ve been super competitive since you were a kid. How much of that helped you on the ATP Tour?

I hated losing. That helped me because if someone younger or better was coming along, I tried to outsmart them. If I work more than everyone else, I will be better than everyone else. Which is not always the right thing. I’ve learned that over the years.

Everyone talks about your father’s influence on your playing, but wasn’t it your mother who taught you technique?

She had a greater effect on me than my father because she was the one who taught me the game from an early age. More people are talking about my dad because he is now my real coach along with Sergi Bruguera. But my mother had a much greater influence than my father.

Of all the men you’ve beaten – Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev – who is the hardest?

They all have their own difficulty. When Rafa plays well on clay, he is unbeatable. I have played Novak on many surfaces, but when he is in the zone he is also very difficult. Everything moves so fast with Roger. You feel like you’ve just entered the match, and you’ve already gone through a set and a break, and you have absolutely no idea how it happened. Medvedev just does not miss. It doesn’t matter what position in the field you put him in, he will always put the ball back, so you have to win the games yourself. And Carlos Alcaraz, with him it is clearly the strength. You honestly can’t name one that’s the hardest.

With everything you’ve been through in recent years, from your personal issues to your injury, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself?

When you are young you are naive. You think everyone is your best friend, that they’re there because they really like you. But tennis is a profession, which unfortunately is not always the nicest thing in the world. I have a very close circle. I don’t let people in that often anymore. I only have people I really trust 100 percent. I had to learn to go inside myself, get the noise out of my head in order to compete.

How about this game gives you the greatest joy?

It’s that you really are yourself. You only win, you only lose. You can’t hide behind your teammates. Many players say they play for the money and don’t really like tennis. I am someone who absolutely loves what I do. I can’t imagine doing anything else. For me there is no better life.