While Alexander Zverev is known for having a sarcastic sense of humor, his recent response to a reporter still surprised many. Having recently been crowned the World No. 1, the German attended a press conference with Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils and Rafael Jodar ahead of the ATP Finals. It was here that one of the reporters made a strange remark about Zverev. But his witty response caught everyone in the room off guard.

“I’ve met all 30 number ones in the world. So, you’re the last one. You’re welcome,” the reporter said. As he was about to ask his question, Zverev cut him off and asked, “I’m the last one? You’re gonna die?” The room burst into laughter following the response, including the reporter himself. Shelton’s reaction was priceless as he hilariously covered his face, while Fils and Jodar also couldn’t help but laugh.

This is now the second time in just a span of a few days that Zverev has grabbed attention for his interaction with a journalist. He recently gave a blunt response after being asked whether his rise to the No. 1 spot was unfair, as both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had long injury layoffs during the season.

“Is it a crime in your opinion?” he asked the journalist during an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. When the journalist answered negatively, Zverev replied, “Then why are you asking me?”

Having previously played the ATP Finals on eight occasions, this is the first time that Zverev has entered as the World No. 1. He has achieved major success in the tournament, winning it in 2018 and 2021. This makes him one of the 11 players who have won the coveted title multiple times. He has been placed in the John McEnroe group for the upcoming edition alongside Shelton, Fils, and Jodar.

Notably, Zverev has a strong record against all three players in his group and has defeated them on one occasion each this season. He has a commanding 6-0 lead over Shelton in the H2H record and defeated him in four sets in the US Open final. The German also has a solid 5-2 H2H lead against Fils and defeated him 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters.

Zverev has faced Jodar only once before, and that match was played at the French Open earlier in the year. He triumphed 7-6, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semifinals. The two will lock horns in the opening match of the ATP Finals, which will be played on November 15. Zverev will wrap up the group stage with highly anticipated clashes against Fils and Shelton

The World No. 1’s upcoming appearance at the ATP Finals will be quite a significant one. It will see him overtake Andy Murray on an elite list while equaling both John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg.

Alexander Zverev is set to surpass Andy Murray with his ninth ATP Finals appearance

Zverev will overtake Murray, who played the ATP Finals on eight occasions. The German will join both McEnroe and Edberg as the players with nine appearances in the year-end tournament. That being said, there are many players who are ahead of Zverev on the list.

Roger Federer is the player with the most appearances at the ATP Finals with 17, while Novak Djokovic is right behind him with 16. Andre Agassi stands third with 13 appearances, and Ivan Lendl is fourth with 12. Furthermore, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, and Rafael Nadal have all played the tournament on 11 occasions.

This means that there are still eight players who are ahead of Zverev on the list. The 29-year-old will be aiming to improve on his performance from last year, when he was knocked out in the group stage after suffering defeats to Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

There are also some major concerns around Zverev’s form as he comes into the tournament after suffering a Round of 32 exit at the Paris Masters. He wasn’t able to make it past the first match and was defeated 7-6, 6-2 by Lorenzo Musetti. Having already achieved so much this season, Zverev wouldn’t want it to end on a negative note. It remains to be seen how far he will go at the ATP Finals.