MANILA, Philippines — World No. 2 Alexander Zverev insisted Friday he has the mindset to win a first Grand Slam – but admitted Jannik Sinner was red-hot favorite to defend his Australian Open title.
The German is approaching the opening major of the year with his confidence high after winning the Rome and Paris Masters 1000 titles in recent months.
Such was his form that he won more matches than anyone bar world No. 1 Sinner last season, propelling him to a career-high ranking.
But a Grand Slam has remained elusive for nearly a decade, with runner-up finishes at the 2020 US Open and French Open last year his best efforts so far.
“Look, I think everybody knows what I’m chasing. Everybody knows what my goal and my dreams are, right? It’s to win,” he said.
Zverev gets his Australian Open underway against French wildcard Lucas Pouille on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic has claimed that he was “poisoned” by lead and mercury in his food while he was briefly held in Melbourne in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open.
Djokovic was kicked out of the country over his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19.