Alexander Zverev admitted the hostility from the O2 crowd on Saturday had been tough to take even after he won them over with a stunning 6-4, 6-3 win over Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals.
Zverev’s victory against Roger Federer in Saturday’s semi-final had been greeted with boos by many in the O2 after he - fairly and legitimately - stopped a point in the decisive second set tie-break after a ball boy dropped a ball.
The 21-year-old German faced no such hostility on Sunday and, with his adventurous stroke play and aggressive approach, soon found himself roared on by the London crowd as he claimed the biggest victory of his career in the season-ending finals.
“I didn't know what to expect, to be honest, because yesterday I felt like I've done everything right, to be honest, by the rules and how it should have been,” Zverev said. “But the crowd reaction wasn't too good to me.
“I was a little bit sad because as tennis players, we take it very personal, this kind of stuff. It's a one-on-one sport, so we take things more personal than other sports.
“Today, the mindset, I just wanted to enjoy being out there, I just wanted to enjoy competing and playing against the best player in the world.”
Zverev had had to claim his crown the hard way, becoming only the fourth player to beat Federer and Djokovic in the semi-finals and finals of a tournament.
“Obviously this is the biggest title of my career so far,” he said. “This trophy means a lot, everything, to all the players. I mean, you only have so many chances of winning it. You play against the best players only.
“How I played today, how I won it, for me it's just amazing.
“It's quite astonishing, winning this title, beating two such players back-to-back, Roger and Novak, in semifinals and finals. I'm incredibly happy and incredibly proud of this moment right now.”
