“Novak joined us two days ago”: Zverev shares golf story with Djokovic and Alcaraz during Indian Wells

Alexander Zverev said that much of his time away from the courts during the BNP Paribas Open has been spent playing golf with Carlos Alcaraz, with Novak Djokovic joining them earlier this week. The German shared the details during his press conference after defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4 to progress at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.

The tournament in California is known for offering players more time between matches compared with many other events on the calendar. Zverev explained that the relaxed environment has allowed him and several other top players to spend time together away from competition.

According to Zverev, he and Alcaraz have played golf on multiple occasions throughout the tournament week. The sessions have become a regular activity as both players balance their match schedules with practice and recovery. “Me and Carlos played every day almost, actually. Novak joined us two days ago. Yeah, it was fun.”

The German remains in contention at Indian Wells after reaching the quarterfinals for the third time in his career — the 36th time he has done so at an ATP Masters 1000 event. His golf partners — Alcaraz and Djokovic — will look to join him in the quarterfinals this Wednesday. The Spaniard will face Casper Ruud, while Djokovic will take on defending champion Jack Draper.

Zverev said the golf rounds with Alcaraz often become competitive because the two players have similar levels on the course. The German indicated that both approach the matches seriously despite the activity being a way to relax during the tournament.

He noted that their handicaps are close, which has made the contests balanced. “Me and Carlos are very competitive, we're on a similar level. I'm about an 8-something, and he's similar to that. So we get quite competitive matches out of it.”

Djokovic later joined the group during the week. Zverev suggested that having the 24-time Grand Slam champion participate added another dimension to the rounds, though he did not go into detail about the Serbian’s golf ability. “Then, yeah, Novak joined us, as well, which was quite fun.”

While the off-court activity has been part of his routine during the event, Zverev’s primary focus remains on his performances at Indian Wells. The German delivered a controlled display against Tiafoe, dictating play from the baseline and managing the key moments in both sets.

Reflecting on the match, Zverev said he felt satisfied with how the elements of his game he has been working on recently translated during the contest. “Yeah, it was pretty good. I felt like I was dominating from the baseline. The things that I was working on, I feel like today they worked well on the court.”

Zverev will next face Arthur Fils as he continues his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The German acknowledged the French player’s potential on the tour and expects a challenging match in the next round. “He’s a great player, I think very young, very talented. When he's healthy, obviously he showed in the beginning of last year what he can do, so yeah, I'm going to prepare for a tough match.”

While temperatures in Indian Wells are expected to rise over the coming days, Zverev was also asked whether he has a preference regarding the timing of matches ahead of his quarterfinal clash. “I haven't played at night yet, so I kind of got used to the day session already,” the world No. 4 mentioned. “I think this tournament is probably the biggest difference between night and day sessions that there is. If I play during the day, I'm fine with that.”