"Carlos Alcaraz has proven in Slam finals he's not so good": Alexander Zverev sarcastically reacts to being drawn in same ATP Finals group as Spaniard
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev recently enjoyed each other's company during a group press conference at the 2024 ATP Finals, as they cracked each other up with playful banter. Zverev, in particular, provided a moment of hilarity with his tongue-in-cheek response to being drawn into the same group as the Spaniard.
Alcaraz is on the hunt for his maiden ATP Finals title, while Zverev is aiming to clinch his third title at the year-end championships. The duo will battle it out against Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev in the John Newcombe Group in pursuit of the coveted spots in the semifinals.
During a group press conference in Turin ahead of their opening matches, Alexander Zverev remarked that his biggest goal at the start of every season was just to qualify for the ATP Finals, only to burst into laughter due to Carlos Alcaraz chuckling beside him.
"When you start the year, my biggest goal obviously is to just qualify for the ATP Finals," Zverev said.
"Can't be serious with that with this guy. Come on," Carlos Alcaraz responded.
When Alcaraz was asked about not having triumphed at the year-end championships yet, the German poked fun at his age and joked about how the 21-year-old's career was only "one-year long."
"He's 12. His career is one-year long," the German joked.
"Yeah I really want to win this tournament one day. I always try to qualify here just to give myself the chance," Alcaraz said.
When asked about whether having Carlos Alcaraz in his group could be seen as a positive, Alexander Zverev responded with sarcasm, asserting that he would prefer to be drawn with the Spaniard since facing him was "so easy" and Alcaraz was "not so good" on big stages like Grand Slam finals.
"Yeah, it's great. I prefer to have Carlos than anybody else, for sure. It's so easy to play against him. Especially in big matches, he's proven in Grand Slam finals he's not so good. He's never lost, no?" Zverev quipped.
Zverev is well aware of Alcaraz's prowess on the biggest stages of the sport, having suffered a devastating five-set loss to the Spaniard in this year's French Open final. However, the German is still evenly matched with the Spaniard in their rivalry, as their head-to-head stands at 5-5.
"Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are so aggressive... In that aspect I can improve" - Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev will look to put on an aggressive display in his clash against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 ATP Finals, having recently expressed his intention to improve this aspect of his game.
During a press conference at the Paris Masters, the 27-year-old praised Jannik Sinner and the Spaniard for their aggressive playing styles and powerful groundstrokes, sharing his belief that tennis was moving in that direction.
"I don't know. But I feel like they are so aggressive. I think tennis is going towards that direction. I think when they get an easy ball, when they're in an attacking position, 90% of the time the point is over, whether it's a winner or an unforced error," Zverev said.
"That's how hard they hit the ball, that's how aggressive they are. I think in that aspect I can improve. That's what I'm trying to do," he added.
Alexander Zverev surpassed Carlos Alcaraz to become the new World No. 2 amid his stellar run to the Paris Masters title. However, the German conceded that Alcaraz still held the edge as the second-best player in the world after Sinner.