Alexander Zverev reacts to Tsitsipas’ praise: “Sinner might have something to say about it”

Alexander Zverev addressed comments made by Stefanos Tsitsipas, who claimed the German is the player who has improved the most this season. The World No. 2 expressed gratitude for the compliment but hinted that Jannik Sinner “might have something to say about it”.

The French Open runner-up reflected on his impressive season, which saw him return to his career-high ranking of World No. 2, matching his achievement in 2022. That year, an injury at Roland Garros arguably interrupted the best tennis of his career.

In an interview with UbiTennis, Zverev was asked about Tsitsipas’ praise as the “most improved player”.“I think Jannik Sinner might have something to say about that, but I'm happy Stefanos feels this way. It's a big compliment, so thank you to him for that. I'm always trying to improve and work on my game. Tennis never stops, and you have to keep finding ways to get better. You see how fast and aggressive the game has become with players like Jannik and Carlos, so improvement is essential.”

He also spoke about the challenges of playing consistently throughout the season.“The first six months of the year were fantastic for me; I played a lot of matches and was winning a lot. Overall, I've played 84 matches this season, and I feel fine. I'm motivated to keep improving, practicing before and after matches every day because I still have big goals to achieve.”

Zverev acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining a high level over a long season.“I’ll never play 150 matches in a year like Guillermo Vilas did in 1977, but I’m okay with that. Managing the season is about quality, not just quantity.”

He also praised Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, naming them the best players in the world due to their Grand Slam titles.“They are clearly the number one and two right now. They've each won two Grand Slams this year, which speaks for itself. Even if I finish ahead of Carlos in the rankings this year, I still believe they are the best, based on their achievements.”

Zverev reflected on his career trajectory:“By the end of 2021, I was among the best players in the world. Novak, Daniil, and I were sharing the big tournaments. I was on the path to becoming world number one in 2022 before my injury at the French Open derailed that.”

“I always say I took a two-year break from being one of the top players in the world. In 2022, I couldn’t compete, and 2023 was my comeback year. I wasn’t a contender for big titles; I was just trying to rebuild.”

Looking ahead, Zverev expressed optimism for the future:“This season has been my first as a contender again. I'm still improving, and hopefully, next year, I can challenge for the big titles and play a bigger role at the top. I’ve had some lung problems over the past few months, but I’m feeling okay. The doctors told me it would take a few months to fully recover, but I’m not struggling to breathe or getting overly tired on court. The fast conditions here in Paris help, as there aren’t many long rallies.”