Key Points

Having last reached a US Open final in 2020 and having lost to Sinner in the Australian Open final this year, Zverev would be aiming to go all guns blazing against the new hottest duo of superstars in tennis. They have won the past seven Grand Slam crowns amongst each other. For world number three Zverev, the presence of these two massive names is a big opportunity to do something special.

Speaking ahead of the campaign opener against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, Zverev said as quoted by ATP's official website, "I would be more than happy to play Jannik in the semis and Carlos in the finals here. I would be very, very happy to do that," said Zverev in his pre-tournament press conference in New York.

"If I achieve my dream, if I achieve the goal that I set for myself in lifting the trophy above my head, then I know that I really deserve it, because I went through the most difficult path that there can be at the moment. So that is totally fine," he added.

Zverev said that he wants to win a grand slam and win the biggest tournaments by beating some of the best in the world.

"Of course, if all of a sudden they lose first round and second round and I'm playing, I don't know, the world No. 50 in the final, I will sign that paper right now, do not get me wrong. But still, if you beat the best players in the world to win a Grand Slam, you deserve it. That is my mindset, and that is how I think about things," he added.

A three-time major finalist, Zverev arrives in New York with a solid 43-16 record this year and with a training stint in July with Toni Nadal, where iconic Rafael Nadal also dropped by to offer advice, which boosted him. He also talked about how "certain parts of his game are still worse than other players".

"I am not going to mention them now, but I think there are certain parts of my game that Carlos and Jannik are doing better than me. They are showing parts of my game that I am doing better than them, also," he said.

"It is about also finding ways to beat the best players in the world, right? It is about finding the right patterns, the right training to do that. That is why I went to see Uncle Toni and Rafa, because I wanted to see and then hear a new vision of what tennis in their mind looks like and how my tennis in their mind looks like," he added.

A two-time ATP Finals champion, the 28-year-old Zverev continues to fine-tune things in his game, which he believes could earn him a Grand Slam title. He feels that paying attention to Nadal's words could help him improve even after winning 24 tour-level titles.

"Rafa, for example, he played against me for 10 years," said Zverev of Nadal, against whom he held a 4-7 Lexus ATP Head2Head record.

"So now, as a spectator and also as an opponent, he can probably give you the best advice anybody else can, because he knows what it's like to be on the court with me."

"It was exactly that I was looking for, right? I'm looking forward in these two weeks that we have now to beat everybody or beat seven players in front of me. I do not need to beat everybody, just the seven guys in front of me."

"I think in tennis everybody can always improve. It is as simple as that," he concluded.

- ANI