Q: You were having physical problems. What was going on, and should we be worried with Wimbledon in mind?
Zverev: “No, I don’t think so. My back locked up, but that wasn’t the reason. I had extreme problems with my blood sugar today because, unfortunately, before the match the device – the sensor I use – displayed an incorrect blood sugar reading, so I injected far too much insulin. And then during the match, or in the first 45 minutes of the match, I consumed almost 350 g of sugar and I simply felt absolutely terrible. Unfortunately, that was the reason today why, physically speaking, I wasn’t really there in the second set; in the third set, too, it was difficult for me to even be physically present. But I fought hard, I gave it my all, and in the end, you have to say he deserved to win. He played better than me today. He was more present, fresher, moved better, and so he deserved to win.”
Q.: You came here hoping to finally win a grass-court title here in Halle. How big is the disappointment now, after such a great match?
Zverev: “Yes, I’m disappointed because I feel my tennis is there. But unfortunately, for other reasons, it just didn’t work out today. And the last few times I’ve played against Taylor Fritz, he’s been the better player, and I feel that my game was there today, but I simply wasn’t physically able to show it. But in a way, that also gives me a positive sign ahead of Wimbledon, because I feel I’ve settled in quite well on grass and hopefully I’ll be able to show that at Wimbledon too.”
Q.: Have you had this happen with the sensor before?
Zverev: “This is the first time the sensor – I’ve had the sensor since 2016/2017 – so for the first time in nine years that it’s been so drastically wrong. I don’t know, I’ve no idea.”
Q.: What exactly did you do during that interruption? Can you tell us?
Zverev: Which one? After the second set?
Q.: When you…
Zverev: “Oh, right, that’s when they adjusted my back. At that time it was my back, but if you look at it, I was drinking one glucose gel after another, so I ended up consuming 350g or 300g of sugar. At some point, that just becomes difficult. It’s the same as if you were to drink 3.5 litres of Coke during a match. You wouldn’t feel particularly well either, but I just had to do it because otherwise I’d have been running low on sugar the whole time."
Q.: When did you realise that the device was showing the wrong reading, and, more importantly, how did you realise it?
Zverev: “Just before the match. The device was showing an extremely high blood sugar level, but I already felt as though my blood sugar was low. Then I checked it myself and my blood sugar was actually already low, so I thought, ‘Okay, this is going to be a difficult day.’”
Q.: Sascha, this was your first tournament as a Grand Slam champion. Does it make any difference mentally when you go into a tournament fresh off the back of a Grand Slam victory?
Zverev: “Well, I’m already looking ahead to Wimbledon a bit, and I think I’ve played some relatively good grass-court tennis here, played some good matches, and that’s the main thing for me. Nothing else matters right now. I’ve said before that in tennis, even when things are going well, you need to have a short memory, because the next tournament is practically already next week. And that’s Wimbledon again, and I’ll do everything I can to prepare well and show some good tennis there too.”
Q.: Jannik Sinner is back at Wimbledon now and is currently training again. As a pro yourself, how do you view a break like this? Does a break like this help you to go into a tournament feeling a bit more relaxed?
Zverev: “For me, it actually never helps (laughs). I always need a warm-up tournament, but Jannik’s different in that respect. Because Jannik won the Australian Open without a warm-up tournament – twice, in fact. There are players like that. Roger Federer never needed a warm-up tournament; he’s won countless Grand Slam tournaments without one. I’m someone who needs a bit of match rhythm. I don’t think Jannik needs that, because he’s shown that time and again in Australia.”
Q: You said you enjoy playing here in Germany, but you'd also like to play for Germany again. Perhaps you'll return to Halle in September. What are your plans then?
Zverev: "Well, I hope so. We'll see if I get nominated (laughs)."
Q.: Sascha, you’re here with practically your whole family. Your child’s here, your brother’s here with his children, all the dogs are here. It’s practically a massive Zverev family event. How special and how lovely is it to have everyone together here in Germany, and does that give you some extra energy for the tournament?
Zverev: “In a way, it gives you energy, and in a way, it takes a bit of energy away. You’ve got to be honest about that (laughs). Because with four dogs and a few children, there’s a lot of playing going on. And Dad has to join in too. But it’s been a wonderful week for me, even if it’s ended on a slightly disappointing note. It was still a positive week for me. I really enjoyed being here, playing here, and I think the crowd this week was, in my eyes, the best crowd I’ve ever had in Halle. And I really enjoyed being out on court as well.”
Das ist schon wirklich absurd was dieser Frühling und Früh-Sommer bislang für Hitzewellen in Europa bringt, und der Sommer hat gerade erst begonnen.