Alexander Zverev confronts ATP Finals opponents over ‘you are old’ remark as he urges them to ‘keep quiet’

Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev are the most experienced players in this season's ATP Finals main draw.

Alexander Zverev confronts ATP Finals opponents over ‘you are old’ remark as he urges them to ‘keep quiet’

Alexander Zverev (Image via X)

Alexander Zverev is all set to kick-start his campaign at the ATP Finals. He, along with Daniil Medvedev, are the most experienced players in the year-end championships this season. 

Medvedev, at 28, in fact, is the oldest player in the main draw. Zverev and Medvedev are also the former champions. While Medvedev won the tournament in 2020, Zverev clinched the title twice, in 2018 and 2021. 

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Had defending champion Novak Djokovic played the tournament, he would have been the oldest player this season. But he withdrew from the tournament due to an injury. 

Zverev is part of John Newcombe’s group, which also includes Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev. Ahead of the tournament, when all the John Newcombe group sat together for a press conference, Zverev was made aware of his being the most experienced player in the draw. 

I think I played the Finals the most out of everyone. Fu*k I feel old.

Alexander Zverev said 

Zverev felt ‘old’ but his rivals, who were rather laughing, told him, ‘you are’, implying that he indeed is old. And as they kept discussing Zverev being an old player, he responded with, ‘Can you be quiet?‘

Medvedev is part of the Ilie Nastase group, which also has World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alex de Minaur, and Taylor Fritz. The group will be playing their first match on Sunday (November 10). 

Alexander Zverev finds it strange Novak Djokovic withdrew from ATP Finals

With seven titles, Novak Djokovic tops the list of the most number of ATP titles. He lifted his first title in 2008, then went on to emerge as the winner in the finals in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022 and 2023.

Novak Djokovic (5)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

 
This season, Djokovic, though he won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, failed to win a tour-level title, including a major one, with the 2023 US Open being the Grand Slam he lifted last. Djokovic does not care much about rankings or winning the ATP Finals, he’s focusing a lot on taking home a few more Majors.

After qualifying for the tournament, he wanted to arrive in Turin but as he didn’t, Alexander Zverev found it strange to play at ATP Finals without the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

I think it’s strange to not see Novak here just because of all the success he had and, for me, he’s still one of the best players in the world. 

Alexander Zverev said at the press conference 

Zverev will meet Andrey Rublev in his first group-stage match. The German has met the Russian nine times and leads 6-3 in their head-to-head record.