AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 27, 2026

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/L. Tien

6-3, 6-7, 6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Sascha. Back in the AO semifinals. How much did Learner impress you today, and how much has he improved since your last meeting?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, he's a very good player. Very different than last year, for sure.

It was incredible to see how he played from the baseline. I thought he was playing unbelievable. For me to win, I think, you know, the serve was very important for me, because on the baseline, again, he was playing amazing.

A lot of situations where I could rely on my serve, which was quite important today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Compared to previous years, at the Rod Laver Arena it feels very different. The focus is on your serve, a lot of crowd support, rather than attention on your personal life. Do you feel different this year?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think this question is not worth asking anymore.

Q. When you look back at your slams, what do you think was you in sort of your best form, and how do you compare where you've been these last sort of ten days to whatever that ideal was?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: The last ten days I felt healthy, which is very nice, and pain-free, which I haven't felt in a long time. Probably in 12 months.

So that's a good starting point for me. But for me, yeah, I feel good. I feel like I'm playing well. I feel like, you know, I'm happy on the court because I am playing pain-free and I'm playing good level. Of course, winning always helps. You know, when you are winning, you are always happier automatically as an athlete, yeah.

But best tennis, I would say probably 2022 Roland Garros when I got injured. That was probably my best tennis ever.

Q. You were talking last year about talking to Rafael Nadal about mindset and that kind of thing. I just wondered, it feels like you're playing with maybe greater freedom at this tournament, and if you could put your finger on kind of what brought about that change, if you think there has been a change?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, again, I'm going to be boring, but I think being pain-free is the biggest change that I've had in the last 12 months, as I said.

You know, it's a constant struggle. When you are dealing with injuries, when you are dealing with certain pain and aches, and when you are feeling like you can't do every single move freely, it's just tiring also mentally for you. Then you maybe don't go for your shots as much. You maybe don't rely on your body as much.

So that probably, but also, I've worked on my game. I've worked on my aggressive game. I've been talking about it. I've worked on my first shots after the serve, you know, my first forehand after the serve, maybe a bit more serve and volleying as well.

If those things work for me, then I think success will come as well.

Q. As a follow-up, the injury side of things, given where you are in the game, how experienced you are, that you'd play fewer events? I know there are punishments and things like that, but just to say, I actually don't care about the punishments, I just want to feel good and feel fit, in the way that Carlos and Jannik have done, like, skipping Montreal last year?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, but they're making $50 million a year (laughter). We're not all Carlos and Jannik.

I'm not complaining at all about my life. I'm very happy with my bank account as well, I'm not saying that, but it's a bit different also.

Roger, at some point at the end of his career was playing, like, maybe ten events a year. Novak now is playing ten events a year. It's very different.

But, yeah, I think I will have to adjust. I mean, last year my schedule was crazy, especially in the beginning of the year. I mean, I love South America. I really do. I love the countries. I love the experience of being there. But it was probably not a smart decision on maybe going to Buenos Aires, right. Maybe I should have skipped that and maybe went to Rio.

Then going straight to Acapulco, straight to Indian Wells, it was a lot in a row, especially after the finals run here. That's when kind of my issues started, because I was mentally tired, and then if you are mentally tired, your injuries start as well.

I have to, yeah, be better in that way. I have to schedule better. My schedule looks very different this year after the Australian Open. So it's a learning process. It's also learning that your body is maybe getting a bit older. It's maybe getting a bit more fatigued through matches.

All in all, right now I want to focus on here and play my best tennis the next two matches.

Q. With the desire to want to win a slam, how does the pressure change when you get to this point in the tournament?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, actually I feel like maybe top players feel the most pressure in the beginning (smiling), you know, not have an early exit.

Now, whoever I'm going to play in the semis, Carlos or Alex, they're great players. You just are looking forward to a fantastic match. That's what you are looking forward to.

Of course, in my case, yeah, I'm still chasing that desired slam. Of course, I still want to achieve that, but I also want to enjoy my tennis. Right now I'm doing that, and that's the most important thing for me.

Q. Sascha, I know the roof was on, so you probably didn't feel the heat, but what kind of an effort was it especially for you because of your diabetes to play even with the roof on, and what did it take from you?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: With the roof on, it's perfect conditions. It's a very solid 24 degrees with AC on. It's great. I would love to play with the roof every single match, so it was not difficult. It was difficult physically, but it was not difficult with the conditions.

Q. Did you hit outside, outdoors, before the match?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, yeah.

Q. And how was that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, that was hot (laughter).

Q. Can you point to a couple of things in Learner's game that you think are improved since you last played him? Also, you have a very impressive record against lefties. I'm wondering if there's something about your game or that you figured out that helps neutralize what's often considered an advantage against righties?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, a lot of times lefties love heavy forehands to your backhand. Especially, like, high backhand shots.

I really love to hit high backhands (smiling), you know, so that's probably one of them. The other thing is I grew up with a lefty as my brother, so I played with lefties all my life.

Learner, yeah, what impressed me the most is -- I talked to my team afterwards. I felt like I didn't have a spot on the court where I could just hit the ball and I felt like I was out of danger.

You know, doesn't matter what speed, doesn't matter the height. I felt like if I was hitting fast but in his racquet, he was using my speed to redirect the ball. If I was hitting a bit slower, he was taking the ball early, being aggressive himself.

I felt like there was not really a spot on the court where you could just put the ball there and restart the rally, which was quite impressive. It wasn't that case last year, so he has improved a lot in that regard.

I think, also, got to give credit to Michael Chang. I think what he is doing with him is phenomenal. Yeah, hell of a player right now.