NITTO ATP FINALS

November 20, 2020

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/A. Zverev

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you feel was the key for today's match, especially in the second set when you had several chances? And I wanted to know your opinion on tomorrow's semifinals between Novak and Thiem, who is the favorite in your opinion and why.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Novak served incredibly well, I thought, today. I had to go very far back to return his serve. It was very difficult for me, but, yeah, credits to him.

I think I started playing really well actually in the second set, so a few points decided the set.

Yeah, credits to him. He's doing incredible job. I think tomorrow's both semifinals are going to be very interesting and I don't see any favorites, to be honest.

Q. You've come to the end of a testing few weeks for you obviously. You seemed to share a bit of a moment at the end at the net with Novak. Just wondering how you found the reaction of other players to you during this difficult time.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Other players? They are all fine to me (smiling). I mean, the relationship between me and the players won't change. The players know what's going on.

Yeah, I wished Novak good luck in the rest of the matches. Yeah. Nothing else.

Q. Can I ask you to go as broad as possible like in 2020 and how will you look back at this year for you?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, it was a great year. Unfortunately I lost a lot of big matches, unfortunately for me. You know, I lost semifinals in Australia, which I could have won. Lost the final of the US Open which I should have won kind of (smiling). Finals in Bercy. This match here.

So a lot of tough matches, a lot of tough moments, but a good year for me. A lot to build on for next year.

Q. You mentioned some of those matches. Do you sort of look at it as a glass half full in that you were in those positions and that you know that you could put yourself in those positions again?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: For sure. You want to put yourself in those positions every time.

The US Open match obviously still hurts, but all the other ones, it's great that I'm playing at this level again. You know, if it would be normal ranking, normal year, I would be I think much higher up the rankings than I am now.

Still, it was a good year and there is a lot to build on for next year.

Q. Now that the season is over and you have some more time without tennis, do you intend to take any sort of further action to try to clear your name of the allegations?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: What else can I say? I have said everything that I can. You know, it's very unfortunate that these kind of false allegations can put such damage and put the attention away from the sport or towards those, but it's the world we live in right now unfortunately. Yeah, there is nothing more that I can do.