Alexander Zverev 'regrets' Australian Open final comments, calls Roland Garros 'main focus' for 2025

This week, Alexander Zverev has returned to action for the first time since declaring "I'm just not good enough" following his straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final.

The world No. 2 has taken a different February path with a Golden Swing debut in Buenos Aires this week and Rio de Janeiro to follow. Tennis Channel's Matt Fitzgerald caught up with Zverev, who addressed his comments in Melbourne, Roland Garros being his top priority of the year, upcoming schedule that includes reuniting with Sinner to headline the MGM Rewards Slam in Las Vegas, and the recent NBA trade deadline that turned so many heads.

This interview originally ran on TENNIS.com/de and has been condensed:

This is the first time we've seen you since the Australian Open. You were quite harsh on yourself after that final match when you said you weren't good enough. Now that you've had a little bit of time to process what you achieved in Melbourne, how do you reflect on putting yourself in that position again?

ZVEREV: I was mentally extremely down and so I was very disappointed with the final and how [it] went. Now looking back at it, I regret what I said. I regret saying that after Grand Slam final that I'm maybe not good enough. Because at the end of the day, the final was not good enough. He was much, much better than me. Jannik fully deserved to win, and he was the much better player than me.

But you still mentally have to keep believing. You still mentally have to believe that you can win Grand Slams and you can win at the biggest stage. And in that moment, I let my emotions take over and said not the right thing in a way for me and for my future. But I still believe that I can. And now a few weeks have passed, I still believe that I can and I will win a Grand Slam this year and hopefully in the next few years to come.

Did you allow yourself to go a few days without touching a racquet after returning home?

ZVEREV: I can't. In that regard, I'm actually quite bad. I can't take rest. Especially when I lose, I can't sit still. I have to go and work out. I have to do something. I have to feel like I'm getting better because if I'm doing nothing, I feel like I'm not getting better. I took a flight home, got back on Tuesday evening, had stuff to do on Wednesday and on Thursday on I was practicing already.

Now looking back at it, I regret what I said. I regret saying that after Grand Slam final that I'm maybe not good enough. Because at the end of the day, the final was not good enough. He was much, much better than me. Jannik fully deserved to win.

The Golden Swing: you’re making debut appearances in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Obviously have very strong pedigree on clay throughout your career, but still an interesting decision to switch from hard to clay twice in the first half of the season. What was the motivation behind this scheduling choice?

ZVEREV: Two things: the first, I've always seen and I've always heard great things about this swing, and I've always wanted to visit these countries.

The second: I changed racquets last year after Shanghai. I really want to play on clay with that racquet as soon as possible, just to see what it feels like, just to see what it gives me. It's no secret my main goal, my main focus is Roland Garros, right? That's the one I'm looking forward to. I want to win a Grand Slam. I want to do well at those events, so I want to get on clay as soon as possible so I find my rhythm on the surface.

Going back to you and Jannik. Soon, the two of you will be back together again for the MGM Rewards Slam in Las Vegas. How different is the feeling with your chief rivals when you're playing in that type of environment versus an occasion like a Grand Slam final?

ZVEREV: I always try to enjoy the company of great players and great personalities. But of course in Las Vegas, we're there for the fans, we're there for the people to entertain them to make it a fun event. So it's very different to Grand Slam or other tournaments, but I think everybody will enjoy it. I've been to Vegas once when I was like eight years old, so I don't really remember much of it. I definitely didn't get to experience the city. So I'm looking forward to maybe stopping by at one or two casinos, just getting the vibe and feeling of the city as well and enjoy my time there.

You posted a humorous IG story after leaving Melbourne when you finally got ‘ahead’ of Jannik on the flight back. How was that plane ride?

ZVEREV: We were both exhausted, so slept quite a lot. But the time we were awake, we spent in the back of the plane. It was a bar area, and Thanasi Kokkinakis was on that same flight with us because he was going to Stockholm, I think, for Davis Cup. So it was actually quite fun. We talked a lot. We talked a lot of just nonsense, not tennis-related stuff. Nothing that the fans would be interested in. It was still a good time.

Just to wrap up, know you're a huge NBA fan, big Miami Heat supporter. The last couple weeks, a lot has gone down in the basketball world. What do you make of where it's headed?

ZVEREV: The NBA is crazy. I obviously have a lot of European fans and they're all more into football than basketball. I have to first explain to them how the NBA actually works, like how it's possible for a player to just get traded without them having any say in it. I think the Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis trade was absolutely insane. It was crazy. And then they all don't understand. "But how does it work? Is there money involved?" And it's like, "No, in NBA there's no money involved. You can't buy or sell a player for money. That's not how it works."

I think this was one of the craziest trade deadlines that I've ever maybe seen. It was insane how many moves were made. Obviously Jimmy Butler, who's a good friend of mine, going to Golden State. Miami making some moves, Dallas and LA making some moves. So there was a lot of stuff happening and it was quite fun to be a fan of it, I think.

Your Olympic compatriot, Dennis Schroder, also has a new team. Happy for him on that?

ZVEREV: It was very bad because he got traded for Miami for a second there, and I immediately sent him a message. I was like, "Yo, dude, you're in the Miami Heat now. Let's go." And then five minutes later, I see the news (that) he's traded to a different team and ends up in Detroit. For him, I just wish that he finds a stable team and somebody that really appreciates him. And if that's Detroit, then great. I was a bit upset with Miami for letting him go that easily because I think he would be great add, and just personally, I really like him. I hope he just finds a place that really appreciates him and the work he's doing.