Alexander Zverev receives 3-word encouragement message from $25,000,000-worth German soccer legend ahead of Australian Open final

Alexander Zverev received good wishes from his fellow German sportsperson, the legendary Real Madrid footballer Toni Kroos, as he heads to the Australian Open finals against the World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Zverev defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals after the latter retired mid-match.

Zverev entered the 2025 Australian Open for his maiden Major title, blazing through rounds and reaching the semifinals to face the 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. Already suffering from a leg difficulty, the latter succumbed to the German after the first round.

On reaching the finals, the 27-year-old expressed anticipation for the finals while commending Djokovic, captioning:

"Not the way you’d want to reach a Grand Slam final…Immense respect for @djokernole, one of the greatest athletes of all time. Get well soon! See you all on Sunday @australianopen."

Toni Kroos, the legendary Real Madrid midfielder, who has a net worth of 25 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), dropped words of encouragement for his fellow German in the comments.

"Its that time!!" Kroos wrote.

Former German player Toni Kroos wishes luck to Alexander Zverev; Instagram - @alexzverev123

Kroos, whose mother was a badminton champion, once shared space with Alexander Zverev in an interview. He admitted to the tennis champion that he wouldn't have stopped playing had he been in the latter's sport.

"I quickly found joy in tennis ... If I were a tennis player, I wouldn't have stopped yet," Kroos said, via Forbes.

Alexander Zverev addressed the crowd that booed Djokovic after his injury setback in AO semifinals

Zverev and Djokovic sharing a moment at the 2025 Australian Open - (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic's dominance in the sport made him a top favorite at the AO 2025 en route to his 25th Grand Slam win. However, his mid-match retirement on January 24, received backlash from the audience who booed as the Serb left the arena.

In an on-court interview, Alexander Zverev expressed disappointment over fans booing the injured player who invested 20 years of his life in tennis.

"I want to say is please guys don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury. I know that everybody paid for the tickets and wanted to see a five-set match but you’ve to understand Novak is somebody who has in the last 20 years given absolutely everything of his life to the sport. He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, he has won this tournament with a hamstring tear, if he cannot continue a tennis match it really means he cannot continue a tennis match, so please be respectful and really show some love for Novak."

Zverev will next face Sinner on January 26, 2025, hoping for his first Major title. The men's singles gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had an AO campaign in 2024, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017 and recording his 400th career win.

The German also made it to the French Open finals before ending the 2024 season with the ATP Finals semifinals exit.