Alexander Zverev opens up on feeling like a 'zombie' after beating rival at US Open

Alexander Zverev has claimed 'tall people need more sleep' and revealed he is a 'zombie' if he gets less than eight hours of shuteye. The 6'6" star won his German derby with Maximilian Marterer 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-2 in the opening match of the US Open on Grandstand.

But the 2020 finalist admitted he is not a fan of an 11am start despite his ability to sleep at any time.

"I'm actually lucky enough that when I lay down, I sleep," said the No.4 seed. "I'm fine, doesn't matter whether it's 3am or 11pm. I sleep quite good and quite deep.

"I'm not somebody that struggles with that in that regard, but 11am matches are not my favourite. I think everybody knows that. But it's part of our sport. We don't have a set schedule.

"We don't know when we play in advance, except if you're No.1 or 2 in the world, then you can maybe have a say or have an influence on the schedule. Or if you're American at the US Open, then maybe you can as well, but that's about it. I don't have an influence on the schedule.

"I don't know when I play, don't know what court I play, even though, you know, being No.4 in the world, I would like to think that I'm gonna play on the big courts. But apart from that, there is no influence on that regard."

Asked if he benefits from a lot of sleep, the 2021 Olympic champion responded: "I think there is a study that shows, I don't know if it's true or not, that tall people need more sleep than maybe shorter people. Yeah. Me, I'm between nine and 11 hours. If I sleep under eight hours, I'm a zombie. I'm not functional at all."

Zverev reached the Australian Open semi-finals and his second Grand Slam final in Paris and was confident of making his Major breakthrough at Wimbledon before suffering a knee injury beating Cameron Norrie in the third round. The German then said he played on 'one leg' in his fourth-round defeat to Taylor Fritz.

"Yeah, actually at Wimbledon this year, I felt like I was playing some of the best tennis of my life until the injury," he said. "Definitely some of the best tennis on grass courts that I've ever played, but I've been close this year.

"I feel like really in Australia and at the French Open I was close to getting one. It didn't go my way, but still, I feel the same way. I feel like I'm on the right path, I feel like I'm doing all the right things. Hopefully it's going to come."