Alexander Zverev on 'Lion' nickname: "Lions sleep 18 hours a day, have s*x for 4 & eat for 2, doesn't sound too bad"
Alexander Zverev has embraced the nickname "lion" given to him by fans on social media, jokingly listing the benefits of a lion's lifestyle.
Zverev made his return to the French Open quarterfinals after defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round. Despite the scoreline indicating a straightforward victory, the German did face some issues; he squandered a 3-0 lead in the third set, before regaining his composure to close out the match.
During his post-match press conference, Zverev was questioned about practicing his serve after his win. The German explained that he did so because he had struggled with his serve while leading 3-0 in the third set. He admitted that he had prematurely believed the match was already won, causing him to lose concentration.
"Why? Because I felt like at 3-0 in the third set I got very unfocused," Zverev said. "You know, I kind of thought the match was over before having it over, and, you know, I was not concentrated anymore, and my serve went missing a little bit. So I just wanted to get the feeling of having that back, because it's going to be important for after tomorrow, I think."
When asked about being called the "lion" by fans, Zverev joked that a lion's lifestyle doesn't sound too bad. He also attributed the nickname to his hairstyle and his "screaming" on the court.
"Yeah, what is it, lions sleep 18 hours a day and have sex for 4 hours a day and then eat for 2? Doesn't sound too bad for me, to be honest (smiling). I don't know how to answer that, to be honest. That's probably a little bit has to do with the haircut, a little bit with screaming," he said.
Alexander Zverev set to take on Tomas Etcheverry in French Open QF
Alexander Zverev will be up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the quarterfinals of the French Open. Etcheverry defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(8), 6-0, 6-1 to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
This clash will mark the pair's first-ever meeting on tour, which means their current head-to-head record is 0-0.
After reaching the quarterfinals for the fifth time in five years, Zverev will be hoping to secure his spot in a third consecutive semifinal in Paris. In 2022, Zverev was forced to retire from his semifinal clash against Rafael Nadal after suffering a brutal injury to his ankle while chasing down a shot struck by the Spaniard.
Should Alexander Zverev manage to defeat Etcheverry, he will take on the winner of the blockbuster clash between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.