Watch: Alexander Zverev's thunderous roar after first Grand Slam win since French Open 2022
Alexander Zverev let out a delighted roar after winning his first Grand Slam fixture in over seven months when he downed Juan Pablo Varillas in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open on Tuesday.
However, the 103rd-ranked Peruvian made Zverev work extremely hard for his victory, pushing the match into the deciding set. The World No. 13 fought back after losing two of the first three sets and defeated Varillas 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-4 in four hours and nine minutes at the end.
The German was seen with an extended roar after the match ended, letting out all the pent up emotions in him over the last few months. This was his first appearance at a Grand Slam since the 2022 French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal.
Going for a running forehand in Paris, Zverev lost his footing and rolled his right ankle, resulting in the tearing of all three of the lateral ligaments. He left the court in a wheelchair and made a comeback at the recently-held Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition tournament.
The 2020 Olympic gold medalist was expected to return earlier and participate in the 2022 Davis Cup in September. But he found out about another serious bone injury and was forced to prolong his rehabilitation.
In his on-court interview on Tuesday, Zverev expressed his satisfaction at returning to the Majors and stated that he couldn't wait for the remainder of the tournament. In the second round, he will face either Michael Mmoh of America or Laurent Lokoli of France.
"I am extremely happy because I missed this over the last seven months," Alexander Zverev said. "This match alone pays off for all the hard work and suffering that I have had over the last year. I'm happy to be back on the court, to win in front of this kind of crowd again. I can't wait for the rest of the tournament. But no matter what happens, the tournament is already a success for me."
Alexander Zverev's biggest opponent is himself, says Boris Becker
Following Alexander Zverev's first-round win at the 2023 Australian Open, former World No. 1 Boris Becker stated that going forward, if the 25-year-old plays aggressively, no one can beat him. Becker added that it didn't matter who was on the other side of the net, with Zverev being his own biggest opponent.
"There was a lot of talk about the supposedly easy draw for Sascha Zverev. I was always critical and said, 'the opponent doesn't matter at the moment'. He is his biggest opponent because of the long injury break," Becker said. "I don't care who he plays in the second round. The decisive player is Sascha Zverev. If he feels good and plays attackingly, he will win the match regardless of who is on the other side."