Zverev: 'I want to be remembered'

Match Reaction

Zverev: 'I want to be remembered'

28-year-old German continues to chase history, both on and off the court

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Alexander Zverev is the second active man to reach 75 tour-level semi-finals after Novak Djokovic (196). By Jerome Coombe

There was a point when Alexander Zverev’s flashes of frustration could overshadow his results. Now, they’re firmly in the past.

The 28-year-old German’s composure was on full display in Monday evening’s quarter-final comeback against Alexei Popyrin at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto. After an ‘extremely unlucky’ moment — when Popyrin’s half volley clipped the net cord on set point and trickled over — Zverev didn't spiral: He stayed patient for a well-earned 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 triumph.

In his post-match press conference, Zverev was asked about his self-command and how he has learned to manage his emotions over the years.

“I want to be remembered for my tennis,” Zverev said. “I want to be remembered for what I've achieved on the court, for what I've done on the tennis court… Also for the good things I do outside the tennis court as well.

“There's quite a lot of work that I do with my foundation, and with my family as well, which can be beneficial and helps people around the world. So I would much rather be known and remembered for that than the outbursts that I used to have, right? That's just something that at some point it just comes.”

Launched in 2022, the Alexander Zverev Foundation primarily supports children living with diabetes, a cause close to his heart since being diagnosed himself at the age of three. But his pursuit of lasting impact also extends to his on-court achievements.

Returning to competition in Toronto after his first-round exit at Wimbledon, the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings notched his 500th tour-level victory earlier in the week. By rallying past Popyrin in a battle of former champions at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event, he also became the second active man to advance to 75 semi-finals after Novak Djokovic (196).

“I lost in the first round of Wimbledon, so I had a month off,” Zverev said. “I think these are the biggest tournaments that we have on the ATP Tour. We're fighting for big things here. It's a privilege to play in these kinds of events.”

After that crucial net-cord moment in the first set, Zverev found the answers he needed. He adjusted his return position on Popyrin’s second serve, stepped inside the baseline to take control, and began to dictate with his forehand.

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Next up is a semi-final showdown with 11th seed Karen Khachanov, whom Zverev leads 5-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having notably won their gold-medal match at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

This deep run in Toronto continues a season of ups and downs for Zverev, who is 39-14 on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He reached his third major final at the Australian Open in January, but then lost six of the 12 matches that followed.

However, after rebounding to lift the ATP 500 trophy in Munich, he reached the quarter-finals of Rome and Roland Garros before advancing to the final in Stuttgart and the last four in Halle. Despite his early exit at Wimbledon, the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion remains in good contention to qualify for the season finale: He is third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

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