"It's not that easy to win Slams, especially when you have 3 guys that dominated for 20 years" - Alexander Zverev on the Federer, Nadal & Djokovic era
Alexander Zverev recently hailed Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for dominating the sport for 20 years, making it nearly impossible for other players to win a Grand Slam title.
Zverev most recently defeated compatriot Daniel Altmaier in an all-German second-round battle at the 2023 US Open. The match lasted almost four hours as the World No. 12 emerged victorious with a score of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
During the post-match press conference, the 26-year-old emphasized that winning a Grand Slam title was a monumental task, crediting the 'Big 3' of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic for their dominance. The German further explained that numerous top players haven't been able to clinch a Major due to the 'Big 3', including the likes of Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer, David Nalbandian and Robin Soderling.
"It also kind of comes down to Novak [Djokovic], Rafa [Nadal], and Roger [Federer] a little bit, you know. A lot of players like Berdych, Ferrer, Nalbandian. Who else? Soderling. Yeah, they all haven't won a slam. It's not that easy to win these things. Especially when you have three guys that really dominated for 20 years," said Zverev.
When asked to comment on the potential match-up of Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 2 Djokovic in the final of the US Open, =Zverev remarked on the media's need for rivalries, as it makes a good story.
"I think it's very natural for the media to look for a story, and the story right now is Alcaraz and Novak. You know, last year it was, like, Rafa against everybody. Then 2021 it was kind of a triangle with Novak, Daniil, and myself," said the 26-year-old.
Zverev echoed Djokovic's comments on the matter, stating that it would be unwise to count out the numerous other talents at the tournament vying for the crown.
"It's natural for the media to find rivalries, I think. But I think, as I said last time, Novak said it very well, there are other players that can play in the draw, there are other players that both of those guys have lost to," he added.
The German further pointed out that discussing a potential final is disrespectful to the other competitors who are still in the race.
"I think it's disrespectful in a way to talk about the final when your next opponent is still there, you know. I think both of those guys are not thinking about the final yet. I think both of those guys know that they have their own opponents until there, and we are all here, we're trying to win," said Zverev.
Alexander Zverev reflects on a tough 2R win at US Open, facing Grigor Dimitrov in the third round
During the on-court interview after his second-round win at the US Open, Alexander Zverev commented on the difficult weather conditions during the match.
"Difficult to say. I think extremely tough conditions, so it was not easy to play. Especially I think the first two sets it was extremely windy," said Zverev.
The World No. 12 also admitted to not having performed as well as he had hoped.
"Yeah, there are definitely some things I need to work on but I'm happy to be through, because I think winning when you're playing well is easy. Winning when you're not playing well is more difficult. I think the great champions always do that. With that, I'm pleased today," he added.
The 26-year-old spoke about his third-round clash against Grigor Dimitrov, saying that the Bulgarian was in good form.
"Yeah, I mean, if he beats [Andy] Murray in straight sets, I think he's playing well, right? That speaks for itself in a way. We'll see how it goes. I think every tournament is different. Yes, we played last week in Cincinnati, but I'm expecting something very different here. Hopefully much better match in a way," he said.
Dimitrov opened his New York Major campaign against Slovakia's Alex Molcan, beating him over five sets. Leading up to the third-round clash against the German, the 32-year-old defeated former World No. 1 Andy Murray in straight sets in the second round, with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.