Patricio Apey: Alexander Zverev in Causa Tsitsipas "outrageous"
Patricio Apey,Alexander Zverev's ex-manager, accused the Hamburger of having told the untruth in connection with the excitement surrounding Stefanos Tsitsipas ' toilet breaks.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Aug 19, 2022, 07:57 pm
It should be common knowledge that the understanding between Patricio Apey and Alexander Zverev could be much better. The manager-player relationship ended after the separation in the court dispute - and finally fell silent after multiple public accusations on both sides with an out-of-court settlement. Accordingly, it is not surprising that Apey still has little positive to report about the end of the partnership with the native of Hamburg.
The story, as it is now unfolded in the most recent interview with Patricio Apey in Clay Magazine, has already been told umpteen times in this way - or something similar. What is far more exciting is that Apey harbors grudges against his ex-partner in a completely different way. And in connection with the great outcry that was met with the noticeably long toilet breaks of his neo-player Stefanos Tsitsipas in late summer of last year.
Zverev complicit in excitement?
"The thing was stupid. Unfortunately, it was also Zverer who tried to start the matter and who was so outrageous that he said his father had sent him a text message. These allegations were a bit harsh," Apey explained. The accusations from Zverev and later from Andy Murray at the US Open hit the Greek hard. "It wasn't fair. Stef knows he didn't cheat. He sweats a lot and changes his clothes from head to toe, socks, pants," said the Chilean.
Apey sees the fact that Tsitsipas' father Apostolos was also spotted on the cell phone in the box during the toilet break as a big misunderstanding: "The father spoke to the mother and Stef didn't have his cell phone with him," said the 83-year-old, who asserts that Tsitsipas himself then actively helped to improve the situation. "What people don't know is that he himself wrote a letter to the ATP board to ask them to clarify the toilet rule because he felt responsible." The toilet breaks have been more strictly regulated for a few months now, players are given exactly three minutes to go into the catacombs.
Cooperation with Tsitsipas flourishes
Even if Tsitsipas hasn't always gone according to plan in the past few weeks, Apey draws a positive interim balance for working with the Greek: "He's a super good guy. He has the desire and the hunger and he's ready , to work and to get as high as possible," said the 82-year-old. "He's 23 years old and was already number three in the world. If he can correct some things with his technical team, he has every opportunity to achieve what he wants."
Ex-partner Zverev also had a great future ahead of him - even if, according to the Chilean, the native of Hamburg missed a great opportunity: "He is a very good player and he will win many Grand Slams, but time, the prince to be before he was king may have passed," said Zverev's former manager. Unless: "If he wins Wimbledon five times, he can change things."