Alexander Zverev responded with sharp sarcasm when asked about facing Carlos Alcaraz in his ATP Finals group. Alcaraz, a former Next Gen ATP Finals champion, is in the John Newcombe Group with Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev.
Zverev is well aware of Alcaraz’s knack for performing in big matches, which led to his joking remark during the press conference. Alcaraz has an impressive record, winning all four Grand Slam finals he has reached so far.
Yes, it’s great, I prefer to have Carlos in my group than anyone else. It’s very easy to play against him, especially in big matches. It’s been proven that in Grand Slam finals he’s not that good… No, he’s never lost in a Grand Slam final, has he?
Alexander Zverev said in the pre-tournament press conference
One of Alcaraz’s toughest losses came this year in the Olympic gold medal match, where he fell to Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz and Zverev are tied 5-5 in their career matchups, with Alcaraz winning two of their three encounters this year.
Multi-player press conferences >@CarlosAlcaraz 😆 @AlexZverev#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/yquPOSazXh
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 8, 2024
The Spaniard knows their upcoming match will be tough, as he faces the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion. Zverev recently claimed his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title last week in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz has a point to prove in Turin
At only 21, Carlos Alcaraz has already won four major titles and five ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. The young Spaniard has held the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings for 36 weeks and earned a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in July.
Alcaraz feels he still has something to prove at the Nitto ATP Finals. Last year, he missed the 2022 Finals due to injury, and in his debut, he lost in straight sets to seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
In September, Alcaraz secured his place at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals. Currently ranked No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he had another great season, winning majors at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and titles on hard courts in Indian Wells and Beijing.
Looking ahead to 2024, Alcaraz is focused on improvement. He arrived in Turin earlier this week to prepare for his first match, which will be on Monday (November 11) afternoon against Casper Ruud in the Inalpi Arena.
