He was waiting for half an hour, then the second in the world tennis rankings, Alexander Zverev, entered the rooftop bar in Hamburg with a view of the Outer Alster. The 25-year-old was deliberately relaxed and in a good mood on Thursday morning at the press conference for the Davis Cup, which starts in Hamburg in mid-September.
The reigning Olympic champion injured his right ankle in the semifinals of the French Open at the beginning of June and only returned to the tennis court four days ago. “I completely tore three ligaments and injured four more, that was brutal.”
But he immediately reassured Hamburg’s tennis fans and confirmed that he was “100 percent” at the Davis Cup: “That’s not a question in my head at all. I’m happy that I can stand here now and I’ve already started to train diligently for the Davis Cup,” said the native of Hamburg.
The Davis Cup is the most important competition for national teams in men’s tennis and is played out every year among over a hundred nations in groups and a subsequent knockout phase. The last group stage took place in Hamburg ten years ago. From 13th to 18th September it’s that time again and Germany will battle France, Australia and Belgium at the Rothenbaum in Hamburg for a place in the finals, which will take place in Spain in November.
The organizers would also have benefited from Zverev’s clear commitment to take part in the tournament, said Dietloff von Arnim, President of the German Tennis Association. “When we had the opportunity to bring the Davis Cup to Germany, the city of Hamburg reacted incredibly quickly and said we were part of it. It was also crucial that Sascha said he would play.”
But there is a new change this year. The Stadion am Rothenbaum is known for its clay courts, but due to a new rule from the Davis Cup organizers, the surface is now the same for all tournaments: hard court. In addition, the tournament will be held under a closed roof, which would also create a better atmosphere, says Zverev. “It will be the first time that hard courts are played in Germany. That’s why it’s something special in that sense. For me with a closed roof, the atmosphere is even better. It’s still a bit louder and more acoustic.”
It is said that a lot has happened at Rothenbaum in recent years. Due to the capacity of the stadium with 10,000 people and because a lot of spectators are expected, the decision was then made in favor of Hamburg, Zverev’s hometown, says Davis Cup organizer Herwig Straka.
Even if Zverev no longer lives in Hamburg, it is still a “home game” for him and his national team colleagues. “It doesn’t happen often anymore that you get to play the Davis Cup at home and now we get to do it three times in a row. It’s something special and something completely different from a normal ATP tournament.” Despite the strong competition, he thinks Germany’s chances are high. The big goal is to make the group and get into the final group in Spain.
Away from the pitch, Zverev announced five days ago as part of his newly founded “Alexander Zverev Foundation” that he had been diabetic since childhood. With the foundation, he wants to support children with type 1 diabetes and help people to prevent type 2 diabetes through a healthy and active life, says the 25-year-old.
He himself has only now made his illness known: “In the beginning, especially as a child, as a teenager, I felt extremely uncomfortable with it. I was also teased a lot at school,” says Zverev. “Now I have a gold medal, I’m number two in the world, I’ve won the world championship twice. With these successes behind me, I can already say that you can achieve a lot with this disease and many other diseases.”
Above all, he wanted to show children and parents that you can still pursue your dreams. If he had listened to doctors or his parents, he would not be where he is now, says Zverev. He still has to inject himself with insulin several times a day, but has the disease under control.
Before the Davis Cup, the US Open will take place at the end of August, which is Zverev’s big goal: “I’m not sure that something can happen with the US Open. If it were a normal tournament with a best-of-three, then I could say I might be ready. Best-of-five as the first tournament back is difficult, but I don’t want to cancel it just yet.” The tennis pro himself was surprised at how quickly his body healed after the operation, but will only make a final decision in ten days.
After the press conference, Zverev goes back to the terrace, films a short video for his fans on social media and flies back to Monte Carlo to spend the afternoon on the tennis court and work on his comeback.
