MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 27, 2025

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/A. Davidovich Fokina

2-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Sascha, very close match, how happy are you that you have turned it around in the end?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I mean, I'm happy to be in the tournament and not lose. Obviously he played fantastic, especially in the beginning. I started off not so good, but then I found my way in, and happy to win such a close match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You used the modern technology to defend yourself, but they are saying to us that the system cannot make a mistake, but we saw your photo, and explain this to us the situation.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, I honestly think there was a defect in the system. I think there was a mistake in the system in that moment. I'm a fan of the electronic line calling, but the ball was, you know, it's not like a little bit, with one millimeter in, one millimeter out, it was like four, five centimeters, it was like this (indicating.)

So I think, I honestly think that there was a malfunction in the system in that moment. That's why I went to the umpire and I said, Please, come down to have a look at this, I'm not crazy (laughing), I can see what was happening.

We'll see. It's going to be interesting to see what happens now, what kind of fine I will get, even though I'm right (laughing), you know. I hope I don't get a fine, because obviously, in my opinion, I'm completely in the right and I should not get fined for this.

But, yeah, this was not normal. Normally the system is very reliable. Normally the system has been correct so far in my experience. But what happened today, I don't know.

Q. Did you talk to the umpire after the match about the picture you took?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, not yet. But it's not the umpire's fault, because if he by rule cannot go down, he cannot go down. So it's not Mohamed's fault.

But I will talk to the supervisors, I will talk to the ATP, because as I said, this is not normal. For a mistake to happen like this, yes, one or two millimeters I understand, but four, five centimeters is not normal.

So, as I said, I think there was a malfunction in the system itself, and when something like this happen then maybe the umpire should be able to go down. But this is not the umpire's fault. The umpire cannot do nothing. What can he do? If he's by rule not allowed to go down anymore, he's not allowed to go down anymore.

Q. You have won here in Madrid, we still remember that emotional match against David Ferrer, that after he was your trainer. Do you feel like home here or better in Hamburg?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: (Laughing). I love Hamburg, for sure. But as I said, here on center court I always feel like I can play very good tennis, and I always feel like I can perform good. The conditions, obviously with the altitude, it suits me quite well.

I hope I can continue playing good tennis. Today was a very difficult match, I didn't play my best, yes, but the first round for me was incredibly good, so I hope I find that again and I can continue playing good tennis here.