Alexander Zverev concedes having unnecessarily started a rivalry with Daniil Medvedev following their public outburst earlier this season

Zverev opened up recently on how he was disappointed he was with Medvedev during their Monte-Carlo encounter.

Alexander Zverev concedes having unnecessarily started a rivalry with Daniil Medvedev following their public outburst earlier this season

(L-R) Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev(credits: Nitto ATP Finals, PerthNow)

German tennis star Alexander Zverev recently faced Daniil Medvedev in the group stages of the ATP Finals. He picked up a great straight sets victory, revenging his round of 16 loss at the Monte-Carlo Masters earlier this year. The match gathered a lot of attention due to Zverev’s post-match comments, blaming Medvedev for his disastrous strategy during the match.

Now, after over seven months, Zverev considers it a mistake he should have never committed in the first place. He opened up recently to Sky Sports Germany on how he was disappointed he was with Medvedev during their Monte-Carlo encounter. While both the players were battling it for a place in the quarter-finals with their scores sitting on 4-6, 7-5, 3-4, Medvedev decided to take a bathroom break.

At the end of the day I should have gone to him and said ‘Hey, what's the point?’ and shouldn't give an interview about it. I swore to myself during the match that if I lose, I'll shake his hand. If I win the match, then I won't shake his hand.
Alexander Zverev via Sky Sports Germany

The German ace held Medvedev guilty of trying to break his concentration and focus by using this unsportsmanlike strategy. But he regrets having not solved the situation with Medvedev that night itself and also agrees that talking about it at the interview was a mistake. Zverev also shared how angry and disappointed he felt during that point having been so close to the breakthrough.

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Zverev added, 

That was just too much for me. I was disappointed, I was angry at that moment because I had the feeling that I needed that one breakthrough at that moment. That could have happened in Indian Wells, there were a few scenes there that were strange. In Monte Carlo it was just too much.

What was Alexander Zverev’s verdict after the Monte-Carlo loss?

Alexander Zverev was completely shattered after losing the Monte-Carlo match, having picked up the very first set. Medvedev thought out of the box to shake off Zverev during the game, which the German had under his control the whole time.

Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev share a moment together after their match.
Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev share a moment together after their match. (credits: MOPO)

After the match, Zverev called the Russian player as 

one of the most unfair players in the world.

For a player like Zverev who always puts fair play and sportsmanship in the very first place, this came a heartbreak. The German also added how Medvedev always tries to outrun his opponents with his mind games when they try to play a better brand of tennis on the day. The 26-year-old sounded humble when he said it was not good of him to get distracted by these petty mind games, but concluded his interview by stating his disappointment in Medvedev.

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