Alexander Zverev’s press conference was hijacked by Novak Djokovic (Image: AO Bluezone)
Alexander Zverev enjoyed a light-hearted exchange with after the Serb crashed his pre- press conference. But while the pair joked about their respective chances of winning the Grand Slam, ’s response showed that he views Djokovic as a major obstacle in winning the tournament.
With the men’s singles action at Melbourne Park set to get underway this weekend, Zverev fielded questions from the media on Friday (January 10) about his chances of winning. The German, 27, has gained a reputation as a nearly man over the years, reaching two Grand Slam finals but failing to win on both occasions.
He endured a long absence after at the 2022 French Open but is now in stellar form after titles in Rome and Paris, as well as reaching the French Open final in June last year. And while Zverev was speaking about his ambition of becoming the first German man since Boris Becker in 1996 to clinch the , his long-time friend and rival Djokovic interrupted the press conference.
When Djokovic, the winner of 24 Grand Slams, requested to ask Zverev a question, the German quipped in a bored tone: “The answer is yes, you’re going to win your 25th Grand Slam. We’re all going to be happy. ‘Yay, , once again’.”
“I have a question related to space. We know that you love the universe, planetary systems,” Djokovic continued, undeterred. “Can you tell us what attracts you to the space exploration subject?”
“Trying to figure out the unknown,” Zverev replied before Djokovic brought up the World No. 2’s lack of a Grand Slam title. The Serbian legend continued: “Do you think that the answer of winning a Grand Slam lies in space?”
Zverev jokingly replied: “I think the answer of winning a Grand Slam is you letting me win one,” resulting in chuckles from the reporters. The light-hearted exchange summed up how close the pair are, despite being fierce rivals on the court.
Zverev and Djokovic are friends despite their rivalry (Image: Getty)
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Yet there was an element of truth to his response, with the 37-year-old Djokovic still posing the biggest threat to his Grand Slam hopes. Despite currently being the World No. 7 and failing to win a Grand Slam last year for the first time since 2017, Djokovic has won the a record 10 times in 19 attempts, becoming almost synonymous with the tournament – so much so that Aussie tennis icon in the Serb’s honour.
The Serb has won the event and reached the semi-final since he was banned from participating in 2022 after refusing to take a -19 jab. Yet he is not the only threat Zverev will face, with and , who won last year, also competing.
Zverev had told reporters before Djokovic’s sudden appearance at the press conference: “I think everybody knows what I’m chasing. Everybody knows what my goal and my dreams are, right? It’s to win.
“Going into a Grand Slam as the world number two, you have to have the mindset of, ‘I want to win the tournament’. That’s how my mindset is. I want to play my best tennis. I want to go far and hopefully win the tournament.”