The German praises the Spanish but criticizes the ATP for the schedules: “I am not a robot”
MADRID, 8 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The German tennis player Alexander Zverev confessed that the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz “is the best player in the world right now”, after falling (6-3, 6-1) in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open, but he regretted that the schedules condemned him to staying up late for two days, a burden that made him be far from his best version.
“Alcaraz is playing incredible, there is no doubt about that. He is playing incredible, but I have to say that the work of the ATP was very unfortunate this week. Two days ago I went to bed at 4:00 and yesterday at 5 :00. If someone goes to sleep at that time, it can even be difficult to wake up, “he said at a press conference.
The number three in the world did not detract from the performance of the Spaniard, at 19 years old, but insisted that the schedules must be improved in order to compete with the demand for a final. “For me, playing a final against Alcaraz the next day, who for me is the best player in the world right now, in a Masters 1,000, is difficult. I’m a little angry,” he said.
“I had no coordination, neither in my serve nor in my groundstrokes. I missed very easy shots. Even if I was fresh I would not have beaten Alcaraz but without a doubt I would have played a better game. If you go to bed at 4, the next day you’re dead, if you do it again, getting up will be a difficult moment,” he added.
“I feel sad about the final I played because it could have been a great game. I didn’t have any chance to be myself. I didn’t have the chance to play at my level. It’s not the first time this has happened to me, it happens often and I’m a little tired. Nobody wanted to see a game like the one that came out, people wanted a great battle, but I’m not a robot. From the warm-up I already saw that it was going to be difficult, “he concluded.