"Have a bit of self respect Laura Robson";"Some serious flirting going on" - Fans baffled by Alexander Zverev & Brit's 'awkward' ATP Finals interview
Alexander Zverev and former British tennis player Laura Robson recently caught attention with their interview at the 2024 ATP Finals. The seemingly "flirty" nature of the duo's interaction has drawn strong reactions from tennis fans.
Fresh off his Paris Masters triumph, Zverev made a strong start to his campaign for his third title at the year-end championships, claiming a commanding 6-4, 6-4 win over Andrey Rublev in his opening match. With his victory, the German improved to 7-3 in his head-to-head record against Rublev.
Following his win, Alexander Zverev joined Laura Robson for an interview on Sky Sports. The interaction began on a strange note, as the German revealed that Robson had complained about his handshake being too "formal," only to tell him to "get away from her" when he tried to give her two kisses on the cheek instead.
"As you just told me, you weren't even sweating out there," Robson said.
"That's not what I said. I gave you a... No, let's be clear. I gave you a handshake, you complained about the handshake saying it was too formal, then I tried to give you two kisses on the cheek and you said, 'No, you're too sweaty, get away from me'. Then I said you complain about too many things," Alexander Zverev interjected.
After stumbling through an assessment of his performance against Rublev, the German admitted that Robson had made him so "nervous" that he started mumbling and struggled to find his words.
"You make me nervous during this interview so I can't really... I start mumbling and I don't know what to say anymore," he said.
The Brit humorously brought an end to the interaction, with Zverev disclosing that it was the "most awkward" interview he's taken part in all year.
"If you're nervous we can stop there," Robson said.
"This is the most awkward interview I've had this year, for sure!" Zverev replied.
Tennis fans expressed their disappointment in Laura Robson for "joking around" with Alexander Zverev, given the domestic abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-girlfriends Brenda Patea and Olga Sharypova. Although the World No. 2 settled his court case with Patea, he was not formally declared innocent.
"Jesus, have a bit of self respect Laura 🤮," one fan posted.
"Ewww. The abuser gets to joke around and get away with his crimes. Disgusting," another fan chimed in.
"LAURA he is literally an abuser this is so disappointing," said another.
"Laura Robson be like," a fan posted with a gif from 'The Office.'
Fans were baffled by Robson's decision to "flirt" with the German, with one fan remarking that the interaction gave them "second hand embarrassment."
"Some serious flirting going on here....🤐," one fan commented.
"Ahhhhh the ending made me get second hand embarrassment...," a fan remarked.
"And then she went in with the modest shoulder grab at the end 😂. Must be nice to be the world #2 lol," another fan wrote.
"Why is she flirting with Zverev of all people. Crazy work," said yet another.
"I'm looking forward to the next few matches, hopefully I can still improve on a few things" - Alexander Zverev in his interview with Laura Robson at ATP Finals
During his interview with Laura Robson at the 2024 ATP Finals, Alexander Zverev disclosed that, despite being satisfied with his performance against Andrey Rublev, he still hoped to make improvements in his upcoming matches.
In particular, the German identified his baseline play and movement as areas of concern ahead of his encounters with Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud.
"I was happy with my game for sure. I'm looking forward to the next few matches. Hopefully I can still improve on a few things. I don't think this match was perfect to be honest, I think there is still a few things that can be better," Alexander Zverev said.
"I think I still missed a bit too many balls from the baseline. I feel like I wasn't as sharp movement wise as I would like to be, as I was in Paris maybe," he added
Alexander Zverev will lock horns with Ruud in his second group-stage match in Turin, following the Norwegian's stunning 6-1, 7-5 upset over Alcaraz. The World No. 2 has triumphed in three of his five encounters against Ruud, including a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win in their latest meeting at the 2024 French Open.