Alexander Zverev has made no secret of the fact Roger Federer was his tennis idol growing up. The German admitted that Federer was the best for him.
“Roger Federer was my idol, of course! And Dwyane Wade in basketball. In the beginning, as a kid, Roger was always unbelievably nice with me.” Zverev said.
“The first time was ages ago in the Hamburg tournament: he was already my idol, I was a kid who was looking for him to get his autographs.” Zverev added.
Federer’s bid for a ninth title at the Gerry Weber Open came to an end in 2016 when he was beaten in the semifinals by Zverev.
Zverev’s 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3 victory over the top-seeded, eight-time defending champion gave him a place in his first final of the year.
When asked what he likes to do in his free time, Zverev said he preferred playing other sports such as golf and basketball.
“I like to keep myself very active even when I do not play tennis: I love basketball and golf, but also spending the day on the beach, on and off the beach.” Zverev said.
“It’s nice! So I do not stay on the sofa too much. I like a lot Kevin Hart, an American actor. My favourite reads are about the universe and the theories on how it was created.
“Among social media, I just use Instagram. The communication through images is the most efficient one, I think. Work hard, fight for your dreams and never give up.” Zverev added.
Alexander Zverev beats Roger Federe in the ATP finals. (Source:www.express.co.uk)
Zverev, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf are the biggest German tennis players at this time. But the two-time BMW Open champion said the relationship with the two players is very good so far.
“Boris has been knowing me since I was a kid, he saw me grow up, I often chat to him when we meet each other in the tournaments. While I do not see Steffi: she never comes to watch us play, so it’s difficult to meet her.” Zverev said.
Zverev will hope that returning home to Munich, where he has enjoyed plenty of success, will help him get back on track.
