He was twice in the final of the French Open, coached Andy Murray and became a crowd favorite at Eurosport. In the kicker interview, former world number two Alex Corretja from Spain speaks about his new job during the US Open, his relationship with the former protégé – and about Alexander Zverev’s chances for the title.
Swapped bat for microphone: Alex Corretja.
imago images / Lagencia
kicker: Alex Corretja, during the US Open you will be seen a million times on the screens again. What does a typical day look like for you during a Grand Slam tournament?
Alex Strap: Usually my day at tournaments starts very early and ends very late. It’s always very exciting, I interview completely different players with different play styles. Sometimes I stand in the studio, sometimes next to the square, sometimes I comment on games for Spanish television. Most of the time there is not even time to eat. The facilities in New York and Melbourne are very large, and after an interview you run straight to the next game. You try to see a bit more of the game, look for statistics, think about the questions. One is already very busy. But I don’t do it 52 weeks a year, so I really enjoy the time. Of course, I also have the advantage that I always interview the winners, that makes it easier (laughs).
Your day will be different at the US Open. You won’t be there.
Yes, it will be a big change for me. I will be in the studio in London with Barbara (Schett, editor’s note) and moderate the show, Mats (Wilander, editor’s note) is in New York and conducts the interviews. Let’s do it this way and then see how it works. We can do a lot of great things in the studio. It’s different for me, of course, because I actually prefer to be on the course. You see the players, you know what’s going on, you have a feel for the weather, all these details. But I think the audience won’t notice that much of it.
He’s like a little brother to me.
Alex Corretja on Andy Murray
How does the contact with the players work? Do you write WhatsApp messages there?
If you are not there, it is of course more difficult – if only because of the time difference. I was a professional myself and don’t want to bother the players during the tournament – even though I have some cell phone numbers. But I’m not a journalist and I don’t want to get as much out of the players as possible, I’m one of them. When I’m on the pitch and see players, I can of course ask them things: Are the seats fast? Are the balls heavy? How are the conditions? But when I’m not there, I don’t want to take advantage of my contacts. It should be amicable. When I know something, I see it as information and not as a headline. I don’t want to be the first to make it public and prefer to keep it to myself.
You worked with Andy Murray for three years and your relationship with him is still considered good. Does he sometimes get advice from you?
No, not at all. It’s much more of a friendly relationship. When we meet, we talk about soccer, tennis, family matters. I know we can talk about anything, but I don’t give him advice. He’s like a little brother to me, but I’m no longer his coach.
Clay court specialist: As a professional, Alex Corretja was twice in the final of the French Open. He never won a Grand Slam title.
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With his Olympic gold medal and victory in Cincinnati, Alexander Zverev made his way into the tight circle of favorites for the US Open. Is he the biggest challenger for Novak Djokovic?
For me, he and Medvedev are Djokovic’s two toughest opponents. Sascha (Zverev, editor’s note) is now convinced that he can win. Before that he knew he was a very good player, but I think he felt he was missing something. Now he has more experience, he is more relaxed and has his emotions under control. His serve is a great weapon on hard court, his backhand has always been strong and his forehand has improved a lot. He has found a good balance between aggressiveness and defense, but is not too passive, goes online more and plays a lot more freely. I think he’s ready to win a Grand Slam title.
A year ago, Zverev was only two points short of victory in the final against Dominic Thiem. Wasn’t he ready then?
Last year he got very close, but I got the feeling that he wasn’t convinced of himself. That has now changed. The gold medal gave him so much confidence and the win in Cincinnati proved that he is more mature now. I don’t know if it will happen in New York yet, but I’m 100 percent sure and would bet a lot of things that he will win not just one but several majors in his career.
Who will win the US Open?
I have to bet on Djokovic. He was almost perfect this season, only lost a big match at the Olympics against Zverev – and he could have won that too. In the bronze medal match, he was no longer focused. He will get his rhythm back in New York, he has to be beaten. Zverev, Medvedev and Tsitsipas can be dangerous to him, maybe a few others too.
