Davis Cup: Alexander Zverev confident of victory before the duel with Brazil
Alexander Zverev has been nominated for the Davis Cup qualifiers against Brazil at short notice. In an interview with the German Tennis Association (DTB), the man from Hamburg talks about the upcoming encounter and that sometimes there are more important things than tennis.
by PM/red
last edit: Mar 01, 2022, 12:39 pm
The first pictures from Rio de Janeiro suggest: Alexander Zverev is absolutely right with his short-term decision to take part in the Davis Cup qualifying round in Brazil. The 2021 Olympic champion is sleeveless and in a good mood during training. In the forthcoming comparisons with Thiago Seyboth Wild and Thiago Monteiro, the current third in the world rankings is the clear favorite, with Jan-Lennard Struff being the second individual player.
In an interview with the German Tennis Association, Zverev not only commented on the sporting tasks.
Alexander, you traveled to Brazil from Acapulco at short notice to support Germany at the Davis Cup. What were your motivations?
Playing for my home country is always very important to me and I'm proud to represent Germany. Together with the team, I have the big goal of winning the Davis Cup one day. Whenever an opportunity arises, I'm happy to do my part. Even if I criticized the new Davis Cup format, there might be an opportunity to play with the team in Germany again. That would be a big dream of mine.
From hard (Acapulco) to clay (Rio de Janeiro) and then back to hard (Indian Wells). How difficult is the transition for you?
This change is difficult. It takes a few days of training to get used to it. That's why it's important to find your rhythm quickly and train intensively. It's always tough when a court is set up just for that one week. You have to be mentally strong to deal with bad jumps or a very slow pitch.
The German team has recently convinced at the finals in Innsbruck and Madrid. How did you experience that and how do you rate the DTB team in comparison to other nations?
We have a great team with a lot of potential who showed how strong they are in the Davis Cup finals last year. I think we don't have to hide from anyone and we can keep up with every other team with our best formation and our team spirit.
How do you rate Brazil?
It will be a tough duel against Brazil. We are preparing for a loud home audience. We expect a lot of spectators. South America is always something special. I think we should be aware that we have to do our best to get to the group stage.
How difficult is it for you to focus on tennis right now with what's happening in Ukraine?
In these times you realize once again that there are more important things in life than tennis. And the most important thing is that there is peace in the world. No matter what country you come from, we are all human beings who should live together in peace. Sport and the Davis Cup can always set an example for peaceful coexistence in the world.