Zverev and his secret weapon get cosy on court

Alexander Zverev has a novel way of relaxing at practice before a big tournament, spending time with the beloved family dog, Lovik.

Warming up for the Paris Masters on court the up and coming german superstar took a bit of timeout to play with Lovik.

They’re pretty cute, it has to be said.

And it seems Lovik plays a big part in the Zverev family’s life.

So much so that the dog got a big callout in a victory speech when Zverev won the Citi Open in Washington earlier this year.

He thanked his mum and brother and father but reserved a special mention for the dog, while also addressing mum.

“Thanks for taking care of him, walking him during my matches in the heat that we've been in here," Zverev said to his mother after winning his fourth title of the 2017 season, besting Kevin Anderson in the Citi Open final.

"He can't sit through two-hour matches, so he's a very important part of all of our lives. You take very great care of him after you took care of us for so many years, me and my brother. You taught us this game from an early age, and I think it's quite amazing. And you have a lot to do with this, what I'm doing on court right now."

It seems Lovik has even become something of a hit on social media channels as he continues to make appearances around the world with the Zverevs.