My
brother still makes fun of me, says Zverev
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[January 16, 2018]
By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Alexander Zverev
can no longer hope to fly under the grand slam radar following a
brilliant 2017 season but the hype has done little to change things
on the home front, the 20-year-old wunderkind insists.
His 30-year-old brother Mischa's recent marriage has meant different
living arrangements in Monaco but that has done little to loosen the
bonds of one of the world's tightest-knit tennis families.
World number 35 Mischa still finds time to tease 'Sascha', despite
his little brother's rapid ascent up the rankings.
"We obviously have separate apartments. He has a wife now, and, you
know, I'm a little bit by my own," fourth seed Zverev told reporters
after reaching the Australian Open second round on Tuesday with a
6-1 7-6(5) 7-5 win over Thomas Fabbiano.
"But, you know, still we travel a lot as a family, because my dad is
obviously my coach still. My mom travels with him," he added. "(On
court) they asked me what changed for you since you're 20, number
four in the world.
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"At home, nothing changed. My brother still makes fun of me. My mom
is still there. Dad is still there. My dog doesn't even realize who
I am, so, you know, nothing changes at home."
His dog, a toy poodle, may be oblivious to his owner's renown but
few at Melbourne Park remain ignorant of the 6ft-6in tyro, who has
been touted one of the young players most likely to upset the old
cartel of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
Zverev announced himself with a third round appearance at the
tournament last year, giving Spanish great Nadal a huge five-set
scare before bowing out with general acclaim.
Despite racking up six titles and becoming the youngest player to
win a Masters 1000 trophy since Novak Djokovic, Zverev is yet to
break through to the quarter-finals of a grand slam, a hole on his
tennis CV he is desperate to fill.
FAST START
He has an impressive support team to help him achieve that, with
former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero coaching along with his
father, who played Davis Cup for Russia.
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![](../images/011618pics/sports53.jpg)
Germany's Alexander Zverev in action during his group stage match
against Switzerland's Roger Federer. Action Images via Reuters/Tony
O'Brien/File Photo
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Since a maiden appearance at the season-ending ATP Tour Finals in
November, Zverev's preparations for Melbourne Park have been
scratchy, with losses to David Goffin and Thanasi Kokkinakis at the
Hopman Cup in the lead-up.
But that was quickly forgotten on a sunbathed Rod Laver Arena on
Tuesday as he roared through the first set in 24 minutes against
73rd-ranked Italian Fabbiano, looking every inch the young man in a
hurry.
From there it all became a bit "sloppy", he said, as his 28-year-old
opponent began hammering away like a grand slam heavyweight rather
than a man with no titles or wins against top-10 opponents.
Fabbiano served for each of the second and third sets but Zverev
rallied and closed out the match with a barrage of clean hitting,
setting up a second round clash against fellow German Peter
Gojowczyk.
He will carry his family's hopes alone now, with brother Mischa out
of the tournament after retiring hurt against Chung Hyeon.
He joked that his mother still woke him up every morning but added
seriously that he was becoming "more consistent with age", a
concerning development for other players in his draw.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2018/Jan/16/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png)
"I think that's also something that is a factor of maturity," he
said.
"I'm just trying to get better every single day."
(Editing by John O'Brien)
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