"I love my Chinese fans" - Alexander Zverev shows off sentimental gifts awaiting him in hotel room upon arrival in Beijing ahead of China Open 2023
Alexander Zverev has expressed his appreciation for his Chinese fans after receiving a warm welcome to his hotel room in Beijing ahead of the 2023 China Open.
Zverev recently re-entered the ATP top 10 after making a run to the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open. The German kicked off his campaign with a dominant 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Aleksandar Vukic. He then defeated compatriot Daniel Altmaier and 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
The former World No. 2 reached the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over sixth seed Jannik Sinner. Having missed the second half of the 2022 season, including last year's US Open, due to an ankle injury sustained at the French Open, Zverev expressed satisfaction at rediscovering his best level.
"I guess I can say I’m back, right? This is what I live for, this is what I absolutely love to do," he said after defeating Sinner.
However, the German was unable to progress further as he suffered a straight-sets defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Alexander Zverev will be in action at the 2023 China Open next. The ATP 500 event is scheduled to be held in Beijing from September 28 to October 4.
Upon arriving in Beijing ahead of the tournament, the 26-year-old received a warm welcome as he was greeted with a thoughtful array of gifts in his room. The gifts included small artistically crafted posters showcasing his 20 tour-level titles. Additionally, a creatively assembled collage commemorated his accomplishment of winning the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The German ace shared a few photos of the gifts on his Instagram stories with the caption:
"I love my Chinese fans" (with two heart emojis)
Zverev also received a charming phone cover adorned with two puppies and several trinkets featuring China's national symbol, the giant panda.
Alexander Zverev blames injury for below-par performance in US Open QF defeat to Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 US Open after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, leveling their head-to-head record at 3-3.
Following his defeat to the Spaniard, Zverev disclosed that he had sustained an injury to his left hamstring in the second set, which hindered his ability to serve effectively.
"I was in the match the first set, yeah. I could have broken, it could have gone my way, it didn't. Then the second set I felt something in my hamstring glute, left side. I couldn't push off on my serve anymore," Zverev said in his post-match press conference.
The former US Open runner-up expressed regret over losing his "biggest weapon," which prevented him from competing at his best.
"Yeah, I think my biggest weapon was kind of taken away after the first set, and yeah, it's difficult to even compete if you don't have that," he said.
Carlos Alcaraz will join Alexander Zverev at the 2023 China Open in Beijing. The ATP 500 event will also feature Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, among others.