After putting feared opponent Tommy Paul in his place for the first time in his career in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2025, Alexander Zverev felt a load off his chest. In the subsequent on-court interview with tennis legend Jim Courier, the world number two demonstrated unexpected entertainer qualities and earned laughter from the audience. It seems like Zverev is finally ready to crown his career Down Under.
“To be honest, I don’t know myself,” replied a broadly smiling Alexander Zverev disarmingly in the winner’s interview, which US icon Jim Courier opened with the question of how he beat his feared opponent Tommy Paul (7:6 (7:1 ), 7:6 (7:0), 2:6, 6:1) after two previous defeats I finally cracked it.
Paul played better and should have won the first two rounds. “Somehow I won the first set and somehow I won the second,” Zverev continued. In the fourth round he showed his best tennis and was now “of course very happy” to be in the semi-finals.
After problems with his arm, he wasn’t able to complete the preparation he would have liked and therefore started the Australian Open rather “uncertainly”, but thanks to his good performances in the first two matches, he has “a lot of self-confidence for the top Matches won,” the 27-year-old continued.
Words for which Zverev – unlike the majority of his humorous statements – hardly received any laughs or applause. But they could hold the key to the long-awaited first Grand Slam title of their career.
Tennis: Alexander Zverev once again a favorite
Zverev starts as the co-favorite for the title, who surpassed none other than Boris Becker against Paulin Melbourne, far from being the first time in his career in a major.
He even reached the final twice, but the big coup is still missing from the vita of the Hamburg native, who, with Olympic gold in 2020, two titles at the ATP Finals and seven Masters triumphs, is undoubtedly one of the outstanding players of the last decade.
Probably also because Zverev often left (too) many grains on the way to the top matches.
If he reached at least the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament, he had only achieved this once before, also at the Australian Open in 2020, without losing a set in the first three rounds. Back then, only a brilliant Dominic Thiem in the semifinals prevented Zverev from reaching the final. A circumstance that at least raises further hopes for 2025.
Detached to the Australian Open title?
However, the hurdle on the way to the final will also be high this year: Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic. The veteran defeated the Spanish world number three Carlos Alcaraz in four sets with 4:6, 6:4, 6:3 and 6:4 in the quarterfinals.
“A completely boring pairing. There is no reason to stay here after you have witnessed my victory,” Zverev commented on the duel in advance when asked, received thunderous applause and then turned to the audience: “Two of the best tennis players are playing here , who have ever held a racket in their hands, Novak is the best of all time, Carlos is on his way there – enjoy it!”
Djokovic, who is the most successful player in the history of the Australian Open with ten individual titles, but surprisingly had the upper hand against high-flyer Alcaraz in 2025, probably enjoyed the game.
However, Zverev will not be afraid or anxious: he was able to win four of twelve duels against Djokovic. There were only clear defeats at the very beginning of the German number one’s career.
If Zverev also survives the semi-finals, there could be a clash in the final against the current dominator Jannik Sinner. Here too, the balance (4:2) speaks for the German so far.
Zverev still has a lot of work to do in Australia, but looks relaxed and fit enough to overcome the last blemish in his career and storm to his first Grand Slam title.