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Several tennis fans are appalled at the 'Lion' question posed to Alexander Zverev at the 2023 French Open press conference.
On Monday, June 5, Zverev secured his spot in the Roland Garros quarterfinals by defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The German fought back from a break down in the second set and surrendered a 3-0 lead in the third before eventually wrapping up the match.
During the post-match press conference, a journalist posed an unusual question to Alexander Zverev. The journalist congratulated Zverev on his impressive victory over Dimitrov and proceeded to ask if his fans referred to him as 'the lion' due to his confidence, athleticism, good looks, or simply because he sleeps a lot.
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Zverev was perplexed by the question posed to him, but he maintained his professionalism while answering. The German admitted that he was unsure how to respond and explained that fans must have dubbed him 'a lion' due to his distinctive haircut and occasional outbursts during matches.
"I don't know how to answer that, to be honest. That's probably a little bit has to do with the haircut, a little bit with screaming," Zverev said.
Tennis fans took to social media to express their bewilderment at the line of questioning directed towards Zverev. One fan wrote that it is because of these types of questions that players are "boycotting" the French Open press conferences.
"No wonder players are boycotting press conferences," the fan tweeted.
Another fan questioned why the press conferences at Grand Slam events frequently included the most cringe-worthy questions.
"Why do the press conferences at Grand Slams so often feature the most cringe-worthy questions?" the fan tweeted.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Alexander Zverev set to take on Tomas Etcheverry in French Open QF
Alexander Zverev will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the quarterfinals of the French Open on Wednesday, June 7. This match will be the first time the two players meet on tour.
Etcheverry secured his spot in the last eight by defeating Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(8), 6-0, 6-1, marking his first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
If Zverev manages to defeat Etcheverry, he will face the winner of the highly-anticipated match between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.
