US OPEN

September 6, 2020

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/A. Davidovich Fokina

6-2, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your thoughts about what Novak did and about his being defaulted?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I was 100% sure that I was not going to get asked this question.

I mean, look, it's unfortunate. He hit a ball, he hit a tennis ball. It's very unfortunate that, you know, he hit the line judge, and especially where it hit her.

Yeah, there is a rule in place for it. I think the supervisors and all of them are just doing their job. But, yeah, very unlucky for Novak.

I think he's going to be a little bit upset about it, but, yeah. He could have -- if he would have hit it anywhere else, if it would have landed anywhere else, we are talking about a few inches, he would have been fine.

So, yeah, very unlucky.

Q. Can you ever remember in your career having a moment like that where you thought, Uh-oh, I'm going to be out of this tournament? And do you think had it been any other player that there would have been as long a discussion as there was with Novak over this?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I don't think I have ever gotten defaulted yet in my career or in my life. No, I haven't been in a situation like that. But as I said, it's very unlucky, very unfortunate.

The decision was made I think by the supervisors, and as I said, they are just doing their job. There is nothing much else I can say to that. I don't know -- yeah. I mean, I don't know what to say. I'm a little bit in shock right now, to be honest.

Q. What does this tell you for the rest of the tournament? Do you feel like this tournament is starting to be cursed? Does it tell everybody else in the field at this point, Hey, now I've got a better chance?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: There's going to be a new Grand Slam champion. That's all I know right now. There's no past Grand Slam champions left in the draw. It's going to be one of the young guys, I think, if you count Dominic Thiem as a young guy, as well. He obviously has a chance to win, as well.

Now it gets interesting. Now I think is the time where it gets really interesting. Yeah. I know who is where in the draw. I know who I can play. I know who the rest of the guys can play. Yeah. We'll see where we go from here.