Alexander Zverev reacts as Germany become champions after defeating Serbia in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup final
Germany took home the gold by clinching their maiden triumph in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, toppling Serbia 83-77 in the ultimate showdown in Manila on Sunday, September 10.
In the wake of this, Alexander Zverev took to Instagram to express his feelings on his country’s historic win using a boatload of emojis to give a big thumbs up to their triumph.
"World Champions", Zverev wrote.
Germany, with an unblemished record, made history by reaching the championship final for the very first time. Both teams were locked in a fierce battle, going toe-to-toe in the first half, resulting in a tied score of 47-47. However, the German team gained the upper hand in the third quarter with a score of 22-10, leaving the Serbians behind by a whopping margin.
In the absence of power forward Borisa Simanic and superstar Nikola Jokic in the team, Serbia staged a valiant comeback in the match in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to just three points with the clock winding down. However, Germany managed to stand their ground and etch their name onto the Naismith Trophy. With 28 points to his name, Dennis Schroder emerged as the top scorer as well as the most valuable player for Germany. Right behind him was Franz Wagner, who added 19 points to the win.
Germany eliminated the United States 113-111 for the first time in a thrilling semifinal on Friday, September 8, to enter the finals of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. They were on a winning streak throughout the tournament, with a perfect 8-0 record.
Alexander Zverev draws parallels between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz
According to recent comments made by Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Carlos ALcaraz are on essentially at the same level of playing tennis.
On September 6, 2023, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Zverev lost to Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the US Open. The final score was 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Having played both players, Zverev said in his post-match press conference that the rest of the tour needs to step up their game to compete.
"I played Novak in Cincinnati, I played Carlos here. I think they are very, very similar from the level of the game. There are some things that Novak does better; there are some things that Carlos does better," he said.
"I think they are at a level of their own at the moment. Yeah, the other guys gotta catch up. That's as simple as that."