Annabel Croft was forced to issue an immediate apology to Alexander Zverev during an on-court interview at Wimbledon on Saturday after the German star playfully pushed back against her compliments about his serving performance.
The exchange took place on Court No. 1 following Zverev's straight-sets victory over Marcos Giron, where the world No. 3 had fired 17 aces and recorded the fastest average serve speed of the tournament at 132 mph. Croft, a former British No. 1 and BBC interviewer, highlighted these statistics and asked Zverev how important his serve would be in his quest for the title.
Awkward Exchange Leads to Apology
“How important is that going to be going forward, to try to get this title, and what's the key to it firing?” Croft asked. Zverev responded with a wry smile: “Normally when people tell me these kind of things it always goes backwards.”
Croft immediately said, “Sorry,” prompting Zverev to continue: “I'm going to try to serve at 133 miles per hour next match on average so I keep that up. But when the serve goes in, it's always helpful, especially on a grass court.”
The moment, though awkward, was lighthearted and Zverev later elaborated on his improved form and confidence at this year's Championships.
Zverev's Wimbledon Campaign
Zverev’s run at SW19 follows his breakthrough Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June, where he defeated Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final. The 29-year-old has so far dispatched Alexander Blockx, Valentin Royer, and Giron (6-2, 7-6, 6-4) without dropping a set in the second and third rounds.
He will next face 13th seed Jiri Lehecka, who has lost only one set in the tournament. Reflecting on his progress, Zverev said: “I feel different from last year. I feel like I play better tennis and feel like I [at] important moments have a bit more confidence, which is always very helpful.”
He added: “I'm through to the fourth round, I want to keep going and I want to play a lot more great matches. Out here on Court 1, stadium court, whatever, I just enjoy my time out here on court. I just hope to continue doing that and, of course, winning in Paris, coming in here with a title like that, I think helps everybody. It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter how many Grand Slams you've won. For me, it's my first one so I'm very happy about that but of course now I want to keep going.”
Background and Context
Zverev’s 2025 Wimbledon campaign ended abruptly with a first-round exit to Arthur Rinderknech. This year, his serving has been a key weapon, averaging 132 mph and hitting 17 aces against Giron. The German’s confidence is notably higher after his maiden Grand Slam victory, and he remains a strong contender for the title.
