Alexander Zverev sent a warm message to Arthur Fery after he dismantled the Brit in the quarter-finals at the 2026 Vienna Open.
The two-time Grand Slam winner crushed world No 35 Fery 6-0, 6-2 in just 58 minutes at the ATP 500 tournament in Austria on Friday.
Fery appeared to be struggling physically from the start of the match, and Zverev won the first eight games to take a 6-0, 2-0 lead. The 24-year-old Brit received treatment during his three-set second round win against Lorenzo Musetti.
Zverev was playing his first match since he clinched the world No 1 ranking with his 6-4, 7-5 victory over Tallon Griekspoor on Thursday.
The German defeated Fery in straight sets in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July in what was the pair’s only previous meeting.
Speaking to Tennis TV after reaching the semi-finals in Vienna, Zverev was asked if he felt like he was “in the flow” from the beginning of the match.
“Yeah, I definitely felt good,” Zverev said.
“I think Arthur is a bit of a different opponent than I had yesterday. He doesn’t have the same firepower, but he plays tactically extremely well, and he is extremely fast.
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“I feel like when I have the ball on the racket like that, it’s just a good day for me.
“Yes, the score is 6-0, 6-2, but he shouldn’t put himself down too much, I think. He’s 35 in the world, it’s his first full year on tour, and he’s doing amazing things.
“So, for him, I hope he keeps his head up and continues the work he’s doing.”
Asked if he felt more free in this match after having secured the No 1 position, Zverev said: “No, I felt a bit more tired because I didn’t sleep that much last night.
“But look, I still felt very, very good. I still felt the ball quite well on the racket. And everything worked out well. And I hope it continues that way.”
Zverev was also asked what it would mean to mark his special week with a title.
“Yeah, of course. I mean, that’s what we play for. Every single week, if you win the title, it’s magical and it’s great,” said the 29-year-old.
“So, it’s no different this week, for sure. But yeah, I’m in the semi-finals and there is only four great players left, and you have to do everything you can in your power to stay focused and continue playing good tennis.”
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