Could wanting more prove difficult for Alexander Zverev?
As he sat at a press conference after winning the Nitto ATP Finals in straight sets against Novak Djokovic, the media was pushing questions to Alexander Zverev on playing, performances and the likes. One media person asked, "How do you feel about being viewed as leading the future of tennis?" Zverev smiled coyly and said "I'll do everything I can to be on top, but the other guys are playing great tennis as well...I have a lot of things to improve and I'm still very young, hopefully, between next year I'll play better than I did this year..."
All players strive to do better and have a more superior performance level than not even the year before but the tournament before. Many are already concerned about Zverev's ability to earn a grand slam. But is it absolutely necessary to earn a slam if you're a top five player? He had made it to the third round of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and the quarters of the French. Zverev's performances in many, if not most matches are great and the push to come up with unique and competitive strategies to top his opponents can be gruelling. Ranked number four and only 21 is a spectacular accomplishment but having a father who was on the ATP and an older brother presently now on tour is part of his dynamic support staff.
'Sasha' as he often is called worked his magic and had breakthroughs with a few years ago defeating Roger Federer at the 2016 Halle Open in the semifinals. It was then that he was in the top 30s and then moved into the top 20s being there for the entire year. As he elevated his play last year, he made the Australian Open finals opposite Rafael Nadal but lost in five tough sets. He not only branched out into doubles winning the Open Sud de France singles title and the doubles title with brother Mischa; his first of his touring career. He went on to defeat Novak Djokovic in Madrid and got to the top 10. Zverev qualified for the NextGen Finals as one of the top seven and won five ATP titles as he ascended to be ranked number four. It is often media to ask about his grand slam performances and he would say that it definitely wasn't a physical issue why he hasn't captured a slam yet. But Zverev had reached his first final in 2018 at the Miami Masters, then semis at Monte Carlo and winning Madrid and the final of the Italian Open. Sasha has done what is challenging for any veteran player or not to do, that is defending a title and he's done that at the Bavarian International event and the CitiOpen in Washington DC. He has admitted that "I feel like I can play on all surfaces. I don't feel like I have to focus on one...I feel like I have good changes at all of them". The Davis Cup, two Laver Cups and the Hopman Cup, he's doing the thing and very well.
Alexander Zverev at number four is facing multiple challenges from trying to win a grand slam to win over the veterans of the game. He even has to have the magic and strategies to defeat his NextGen comrades and friends when the time comes to be opposite them over the net. Zverev has a tough tight gameplay and he will continually have the challenge of just staying as spectacular as he is at number four in the world at the ripe age of 21.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2CihXnY
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