They might be competing on polar opposite stages this week, but Mischa and Alexander Zverev are just as content with the scene in front of them at this moment in time.

While his younger brother bids for his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros after a breakthrough run to the US Open final in September, Mischa Zverev is pursuing his first title on the ITF World Tennis Tour in eight years at M25 Porto.

A former world No. 25 and Australian Open quarter-finalist in 2017, Mischa now sits at No. 265 in the world but, though his results haven’t been on a par with his brother’s of late, his desire to compete on a tennis court – on any stage – burns as bright as ever.

“I love to play, so even if people don't see it on the court, because I don't show emotions, I still enjoy training and playing and I enjoy the whole atmosphere,” he said in an interview with Portugal-based website Raquetc. “To me it's the game, so whether you play here or at Roland Garros, in the end you play a game, and if you love the game you love playing it everywhere.

“I feel like if I play well here, in a couple months I can be playing bigger tournaments, so it's like a preparation. I go step by step."

The elder Zverev has played just one tournament since the suspension of professional tennis in March – falling to American world No. 885 Alafia Ayeni in qualifying for the M15 Castelo Branco tournament the previous week – and admits he won’t let his expectations outstrip his form.

Any thoughts of winning a first ITF title since he won a Futures tournament in the USA in 2012 are not at the forefront of his mind this week.

"I didn't think about it,” admitted the 33-year-old German. “Because of this whole Covid situation, I haven't played in a long time and, honestly, I just want to play a few matches, then see how I do.

“I've been training very well, but then I went on clay, then my father got sick, so I didn't play for a couple weeks at all and now I just need to find the rhythm. I think it's the same for everybody. You just need to find it and play some good matches as well."

Mischa isn’t short of inspiration. His younger brother’s exploits in reaching the US Open final – becoming the first German since Michael Sitch in 1994 to achieve the feat – gave him immense pride, even if it made for an emotional roller coaster.

“It was extremely emotional,” he admitted. “[Sascha] losing that final took me a couple days [to recover from]. I was in tears after the match, it was so difficult to see him lose because he deserved it.

“They both did. [He and Thiem] played well and it was such a close match. It was worse than a movie. In the movies they make it very dramatic, this was even worse because it was real. But overall of course I'm very proud and happy for him."