MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 3, 2026

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

J. SINNER/A. Zverev

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: First question?

Q. You tried things, you came to the net. It didn't work, you fail a couple of volleys. Do you think it's possible to beat this man nowadays in general?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, he's very good, of course. But I think today I would have lost to anybody, to be very fair. I think today I played an awful tennis match.

Q. You had a very dominant performance in the rest of the matches. The head-to-head in general, I feel like in the last few matches the head-to-head hasn't been in your favor. I mean, of course you come into the matches revising the strategy and everything, but why do you think it makes for you such a difficult matchup, and why do you think you're struggling with the strategy?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, to be honest, I think everybody's struggling against him. He's won the last five Masters events, so it's not like I'm the only one losing to him. I'm just losing to him more because I get to him every single time and I lose to him. So it's like that.

Yeah, I mean, today doesn't make sense to talk much about strategy, it was absolutely a terrible match by me. I don't think there's much strategy involved.

Q. Physically and mentally, how ready do you feel for Roland Garros and Rome, of course?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Right now I'm exhausted, to be honest. Yeah, I think two-week events are difficult. Mentally, you have to stay focused for longer.

I think here also, I mean, I like to play night matches, but I feel jetlagged a little bit because during the last week I think I didn't go to bed before 4 a.m. one time. It's difficult.

Then I also feel like, if that happens, and I understand that night matches are more popular with the crowd and stuff like that, but then the final should be also night match, I think. Because then I feel like it's more fair towards both players.

Because when it's a day match and you played night all week it's so difficult. Especially, of course, against Jannik it's difficult always, no matter where it is, no matter how you're playing, but with the back story, it was just impossible today.

Q. You played against, you said it before, you played against him the four semifinals, plus the final. I don't know, how do you see his improvement? He should be more tired. He's played, what, 27 games in 55 days, something like that, and he's improving. Okay, today, it wasn't your best day, but how do you see him?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I think, look, I don't think it's a surprise. He's world No. 1. I think it's not more, not the improving, I think he's very stable. He doesn't have dips, he doesn't have phases where he goes down. I think that's why he's world No. 1. To me, that's more spectacular, I think, keeping the level the whole time.

Q. Do you think there is a big gap between Sinner and Alcaraz and the rest of the ranking?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I think there's a big gap between Sinner and everybody else right now. It's quite simple. I think there's a big gap between Sinner and everybody else. And I think there's a big gap between Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak, and everybody else. I think there's two gaps right now.

It's difficult to say that there's not a gap between Sinner and everybody else if he hasn't lost a match in how many Masters events? Since Shanghai. He hasn't lost a match in almost nine months. I think you have to admit that there's a gap between him and everybody else, yeah.

Q. I was looking back to your head-to-head, and the first time you played, well five years ago, but you beat him in Roland Garros.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I lost to him.

Q. You lost the first match in Roland Garros?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yes.

Q. Oh, I'm sorry. Then you beat him the next four times. Okay.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: But he was also 20.

Q. Well, you never lost at home.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, thank you. I'm going to call you before my next match against him.