Zverev calls out "disrespectful" Alcaraz vs Djokovic rivalry

• Tennis News
• Carlos Alcaraz

During a US Open press conference, Alexander Zverev highlighted how the media attention received by the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic can be "disrespectful" for other players. “It’s natural for the media to look for a story.

The story right now is Carlos & Novak. Last year, it was Rafa against everybody. 2021, it was kind of a triangle with Novak, Daniil, & myself. It’s natural for the media to find rivalries. Novak said it very well. There’s other players that can play in the draw.

There’s other players that both of those guys have lost to. It’s disrespectful in a way to talk about a final when your next opponent is still there. Both of those guys are not thinking about the final yet,” Zverev said in a US Open press conference.

Zverev was asked if it helps him that media attention is on Alcaraz & Djokovic:

“It’s natural for the media to look for a story. The story right now is Carlos & Novak. Last year, it was Rafa against everybody.

2021, it was kind of a triangle with Novak, Daniil, & myself. It’s… pic.twitter.com/BG2fMBa3vO — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 1, 2023

Zverev got tennis tips from Alcaraz

After beating Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati, Zverev told the press that Alcaraz helped him win by sharing some tips on dealing with the Russian tennis star.

Alcaraz explained the interaction he had with Zverev on the golf course. "The golf course was about 30 minutes away from where we were staying, and in those 30 minutes that we were together, we had a lot of time for talking.

We asked each other a few things, and that was one of his questions. He told me that I had just come off a very comfortable win against Daniil, and he asked me what was the right tactic? How did I do it? And you know, I’m a nice kid.

I think I’m a bit naive in that way, so I told him how I approached the match. It’s the same as with a lot of players, if I have a question, I ask my peers and they ask me as well, and I tell them. At the end of the day, he has his own team and he has his coach, his own way of preparing for matches.

But yeah, when someone asks me, I tell them what I’m feeling," Alcaraz explained.