Players don't have time to unwind but I can't complain, says Zverev
LONDON: Tennis players do not have an off-season to recover physically and mentally, Alexander Zverev said on Saturday, but the world number three added that he had no complaints as he chose this life and it rewards him well.
Player welfare has been under intense scrutiny after the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) filed a lawsuit against the sport's governing bodies in March.
One of their grievances was the hectic 11-month schedule which they described as 'unsustainable'.
'It's just the continuity of not having breaks. It's a subject that has been there just for a very long time,' Zverev told reporters ahead of Wimbledon.
'I just don't think we have an off-season. I don't think we have time to mentally rest (and) physically rest.
'But all in all, I don't want to complain because I love being a tennis player. I love playing tennis. We are all complaining on a very, very high level, right?'
The distribution of prize money was another factor in the lawsuit, although the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) boosted its total prize money for this year's Championships to 53.5 million pounds ($73.37 million), a 7% increase on 2024.
Zverev eases into Halle second round after coming to aid of injured spectator
The singles champions will receive three million pounds each, the highest across all Grand Slams, while players who lose in the first round get 66,000 pounds.
'We're all making kind of a good amount of money. We're travelling the world. We're living in five-star hotels most of the time,' Zverev added.
'Sometimes you maybe want to sit on the couch and not do anything, but that's the life we chose. To be honest, it was always my dream to be a tennis player. I feel like I'm living that dream and I'm enjoying it.'
Zverev has reached the final at every Grand Slam apart from Wimbledon where he has never made the quarter-finals. The German has never won a grasscourt title on the ATP Tour either, losing three finals.
The 28-year-old German warmed up for Wimbledon with two grasscourt tournaments in Stuttgart and Halle – where he reached the final and semi-finals.
'People are forgetting I'm still number three in the world and I'm number three in the race,' he said.
'I've had a few losses here and there, which were normal, which were maybe unexpected. I feel like my form has been coming back the last few weeks.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Behind Wimbledon's floral magic
Wimbledon head gardener Martyn Falconer is the only man at the All England Club who welcomes a drop of rain, reports AFP. While wet weather wreaks havoc with the tournament schedule, he is not disappointed with the occasional cloudburst to keep his spectacular flower displays in perfect condition. Falconer oversees the delivery of 27,000 plants for the Championships in leafy southwest London to add to thousands already in place in the immaculate grounds. Hydrangeas and petunias in blues, purples and whites tumble over the sides of hanging baskets and window boxes, filling herbaceous borders and floral installations. Roses are scattered throughout the grounds and Boston ivy creeps over the outside walls of Centre Court to create the picture-perfect Grand Slam event. Falconer, who has worked at the All England Club for 25 years, spending 11 years in his current role, says Wimbledon's ethos is "tennis in an English garden". He manages a team of 10 permanent gardeners and two apprentices, which expands by around 10 in the lead-up to the tournament, which this year starts on June 30. Falconer's team was this week applying the final tweaks as the club prepares to throw open its doors to thousands of tennis fans from Monday. "We're making sure it looks lovely and presentable for everyone," he said. "It's never-ending. And then from the Monday, once the public are in, we kind of take a little bit of a breath. "But then every morning it's watering and maintaining and deadheading and just making sure everything looks good for everyone coming on each day." The horticulture team keeps a stock of spare plants in reserve to replenish those that are damaged by the crowds that swarm the All England Club. "We've got a nice selection of bits and pieces just in case of an accident," said Falconer. "We do get a lot of bums sat on the planters. Where there's somewhere to park a bum, they will. "We've got what we call a Wimbledon twist, so we can get a couple of days out of a hydrangea or a few plants. And then when it gets to the point of no more twisting, we'll do a little swap around." Falconer's aim is to have the grounds looking as pristine on the final day of the Championships as they do on day one. 'There's nothing like it' Tradition plays a big role in the planting colour schemes but there is some room for innovation. "Obviously we've got our greens and purples and whites, which are very Wimbledon," he said. "For us, it's more actually about the feel of being in an English garden. So that gives us a greater palette to work with, nothing too garish - we won't go super bright oranges everywhere. But it allows us to bring in all those pastel colours, pinks, yellows." "We can't get them in too late because they grow too much," said Falconer. "So we need to do most of that growing here. So the nursery will pot them on, get them started, and then they come to us." The team is continuously assessing the performances of specific plant varieties but plans are carefully calibrated to make sure the grounds are always saturated with colour. "We have enough variation that there's always something doing something," said Falconer. "And hopefully most of it's doing what we want it to do at the right time." Wimbledon's head gardener said one of the challenges is adapting to a changing climate. There have been weeks of warm, dry weather in the build-up to this year's tournament. "It's challenging," said Falconer. "I'm the only one walking around looking for a little bit of rain I think at Wimbledon." He and his team might breathe a sigh of relief when the last fan leaves after the two-week tournament, but managing the 42-acre site at the All England Club is a year-round task. "It's a big site, so there's a lot to do," he said. "Pruning, hedge-cutting, mulching, making sure it's good and ready for the springtime." Despite the pressure, Falconer still gets a buzz from his work even after so many years. "There's nothing like it," he said. "You work to get it delivered and that first day when the public walk through the gate there's a sigh of relief that it's done but then you almost start again."
Business Recorder
15 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Players don't have time to unwind but I can't complain, says Zverev
LONDON: Tennis players do not have an off-season to recover physically and mentally, Alexander Zverev said on Saturday, but the world number three added that he had no complaints as he chose this life and it rewards him well. Player welfare has been under intense scrutiny after the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) filed a lawsuit against the sport's governing bodies in March. One of their grievances was the hectic 11-month schedule which they described as 'unsustainable'. 'It's just the continuity of not having breaks. It's a subject that has been there just for a very long time,' Zverev told reporters ahead of Wimbledon. 'I just don't think we have an off-season. I don't think we have time to mentally rest (and) physically rest. 'But all in all, I don't want to complain because I love being a tennis player. I love playing tennis. We are all complaining on a very, very high level, right?' The distribution of prize money was another factor in the lawsuit, although the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) boosted its total prize money for this year's Championships to 53.5 million pounds ($73.37 million), a 7% increase on 2024. Zverev eases into Halle second round after coming to aid of injured spectator The singles champions will receive three million pounds each, the highest across all Grand Slams, while players who lose in the first round get 66,000 pounds. 'We're all making kind of a good amount of money. We're travelling the world. We're living in five-star hotels most of the time,' Zverev added. 'Sometimes you maybe want to sit on the couch and not do anything, but that's the life we chose. To be honest, it was always my dream to be a tennis player. I feel like I'm living that dream and I'm enjoying it.' Zverev has reached the final at every Grand Slam apart from Wimbledon where he has never made the quarter-finals. The German has never won a grasscourt title on the ATP Tour either, losing three finals. The 28-year-old German warmed up for Wimbledon with two grasscourt tournaments in Stuttgart and Halle – where he reached the final and semi-finals. 'People are forgetting I'm still number three in the world and I'm number three in the race,' he said. 'I've had a few losses here and there, which were normal, which were maybe unexpected. I feel like my form has been coming back the last few weeks.'
Business Recorder
15 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Djokovic still hunts milestones with 20th Wimbledon looming
LONDON: Novak Djokovic says he is still hunting more career milestones as he prepares for his 20th Wimbledon bidding to match Roger Federer's record of eight men's singles titles. The emerging duopoly of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has shifted the focus away from the 38-year-old Serb who will be seeded sixth this year, his lowest since 2018. Despite that, no one will be dismissing the threat he poses as he chases an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title. Asked whether it felt like he was now more hunter than hunted, after being knocked off his perch by the young guns, Djokovic said his goals remained the same. 'In a sense you're always hunting because you're always going for the titles, and in my privileged position, the records and more history,' he told reporters after practising at a sunny and warm Wimbledon on Saturday. 'I do feel that I'm always in that position of going for something with the attitude of trying to win rather than trying to defend.' Alcaraz seeks Wimbledon hat-trick as Sinner, Djokovic plot dethroning Djokovic has reached the final of the last six Wimbledons, losing the last two to Spaniard Alcaraz. He has not added to his Grand Slam collection since the 2023 U.S. Open, since when Alcaraz and Italian Sinner have shared them, winning three apiece. He admits he was outplayed by world number one Sinner in the French Open semi-finals but had taken encouragement from that run in Paris. A return to Wimbledon perhaps offers him the best chance of breaking their stranglehold and becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the professional era. 'I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform at the highest level,' he said. 'Let's see. I like the way I feel right now physically. Tennis-wise I've been playing good on the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. 'But yeah, I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can.' Djokovic opens his latest Wimbledon quest against Frenchman Alexandre Muller on Tuesday needing just three victories to become only the second man to reach 100 match wins at the grass court Grand Slam. Federer won 105.
