“I have to have confidence in myself”: Zverev prepares to face the rival he ‘most hated to play’ at the Australian Open

Alexander Zverev claimed a convincing victory in the third round of the Australian Open against Cameron Norrie, a strong and established opponent on Tour, a win that gives him a boost of confidence as he moves into the second week of the tournament.

The world No. 3 quietly made his way through the first week — all victories in four sets. The German encountered opponents who knew how to complicate his game, but he found solutions to push through when things became difficult. “The past two matches I thought were fantastic matches,” Zverev said in press conference. “Both opponents challenged me, but they challenged me because they were playing really good tennis and I was up to the task.”

Zverev extended his head-to-head advantage to a comfortable 7–0. “Today Cameron I thought played the best match that we have ever played. I am happy with the win.”

The 28-year-old player found himself in trouble in the second set, when he conceded a single break point that his opponent converted to take the set. However, he maintained his composure and dominated the following two sets, opening up a wide advantage over his rival. “I thought I was hitting my forehand quite big and well,” Zverev explained. “Moving forward that is the shot that will make me win or make me lose. If I am hitting it that way and I feel confident in that shot, it is very important.”

The three-time Grand Slam finalist also assessed the atmosphere at John Cain Arena, despite the fact that most of the support was behind his opponent. “You have to be honest — he’s half New Zealander. Many fans were on his side. But in general, the atmosphere on the court is always great. I really enjoy playing there.”

The German had previously stated that he worked on a more aggressive game during the off-season, incorporating more serve-and-volley plays and new variations into his tennis.

Zverev commented that the off-season work is paying off. “Yes, definitely. Especially the light balls. That’s the shot I worked on the most over the last six weeks,” Zverev said. “I think I was really behind the other top players in that area, so far it’s going pretty well, I’d say. Of course, I want to continue like this and continue winning my matches. Then we’ll see what happens.”

Zverev’s next challenge will be one of the rivals he finds most difficult to face — according to his own previous statements — Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo. “I actually thought I played okay in Madrid, I lost to [Francisco] Cerundolo, who is kind of the opponent I hate to play the most, probably, outside of the top three or four guys, with Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] and all those,” he commented in May 2025 while discussing his recent campaigns during the clay swing.

The head-to-head favors Cerúndolo 3–2, with three wins on clay between 2024 and 2025, while Zverev took revenge in the last two meetings on hard courts — during the second half of 2026, the most recent of them two months ago at the Davis Cup Finals.

“We’re in the last 16 at a Grand Slam. I don’t think there will be any easy matches anymore, and that’s completely fine,” Zverev said. “He’s a great player and he had a great win today. I have to have confidence in myself and show the level I’ve shown so far on the court. Then we’ll see how it is in two days.”

Zverev continues with positive sensations heading into his fourth-round match, looking to build on his strong form from the past week. He carries the pressure of a significant points defense, considering he was a finalist in 2025 — a total of 1,300 points — while he has only defended 100 of them so far, which currently places him as world No. 5 in the live rankings.