THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 27, 2026

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Who would like to ask the first question?

Q. What has been the best thing off the court or on the court about being a Grand Slam champion? What has happened? How long and how difficult has it been to get your head back in and thinking about winning number two?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think people always think that once you win a Grand Slam, your life changes in a way. I kind of figured out it really doesn't (smiling).

For me, I enjoy certain things outside the court. I will keep enjoying them, whether it's going to play golf with my friends, whether it's going to a kids club with my daughter. Those things don't really change that much.

For me, of course there is some sort of satisfaction inside of me, and there is of course something that was fighting for my entire career.

Outside of that, life doesn't really change that much. You continue living your life. As you can see, two weeks later we're at Wimbledon and we're already preparing for the next Grand Slam.

Q. On Tuesday Maya Joint plays Serena. When you were younger, when you're suddenly playing against the big three, people you looked up to, what is it like being up against them, how you manage that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, the very first time I played one of them was against Roger in Rome. I was extremely nervous. I couldn't handle my emotions. I didn't play a very good match. But then you get used to it, right? I think the more often you do it, the more used to it you get.

No, the first time wasn't Roger. It was Rafa, Indian Wells, I think. Right? I'm not sure anymore. It was that period of time.

First time you're nervous. Second time you're a bit better. Third and fourth time you see them as opponents. Especially when you're young and when you're starting to get better and you're climbing up the rankings, you just try to figure out ways to beat them.

Of course, those are players that you always watched, you had admired since a very young age. You have to put that behind you and you have to try to focus on what you can do on a tennis court to win. At the end of the day, that's what you're here for was.

Q. A comparable situation to Tuesday could have been you against Rafa 2024, such a huge mega occasion. How did you find all the hoopla around that?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think it is a bit different because Serena took a longer time off. I think she took almost four years off - right? - whereas Rafa took a couple of months off and was still at a very high level of his game, but he wasn't seeded. I was I think No. 2 or 3 seed at Roland Garros. I'm not sure anymore. I was somewhere there still.

Both of us had a mindset of we're trying to win the match, then we're going to try to win the tournament. For me, I didn't want to play Rafa in the first round. I think nobody wants to play Rafa in the first round. No question about it.

I wanted to play Rafa one more time at Roland Garros because of what happened in 2022 just to put that behind me and have a new memory against Rafa whether I win or lose. Of course, after the match I was very happy that we played.

Q. Your glucose sensor, did you get to the bottom of that? Have you made any changes?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: The company's investigating it, looking into it. No, honestly though, it may sound worse for the sensor and for the company that it is because I've been using it for 10-plus years, maybe more than 10 years, I think 11 years. This is the first time ever it happened.

For me, unfortunately it happened during a tennis match where I physically get tired already. Of course, the exhaustion level was too much for me.

Again, it happened once in over 10 years. Those things are still very, very useful for a diabetic, make the life of a diabetic much easier than without them.

So yeah, it was very unfortunate for me that it happened, but I think as a product, it still is very helpful for millions of diabetes patients.

Q. They say in London you wait for a bus for hours, then two come along at the same time. Now you've won the French, do you see this as an opportunity to cement that by having a really deep run here?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Look, I don't know. I hope the saying will be true for me. But again, Wimbledon has always been the Grand Slam that I struggled the most at.

Personally I do feel different this year. I do feel like I have a good preparation. I do feel like I play good tennis at the moment. I'm going to do everything I can to show that on the tennis court, just show that on the match court.

After that, that's all that I have in my control and everything else will follow.