ATP finals in tennis
As soon as Alexander Zverev is together with Sophia Thomalla, he is on his way to becoming the champion of hearts
One of the favorites at the ATP finals in Turin: Alexander Zverev from Hamburg
© Luca Bruno / DPA
Grand gesture by Alexander Zverev at the start of the ATP finals in Turin: When his opponent had to give up injured, the Hamburger pays him warm words. Just a small moment – but it shows that the German number 1 is pretty much going in the right direction.
By Klaus Bellstedt, Turin
To anticipate that: presenter and model (and startup investor!) Sophia Thomalla did not sit in the box at the ATP finals in Turin, the season end of the eight best tennis professionals, at least not in Alexander Zverev’s first match. Germany’s number 1 has to do without his new companion at the prestigious event for the time being. Mutual declarations of love are, however – one can be almost certain with the two of them – vigorously exchanged via social media even without physical proximity.
Yes, a lot is going in the right direction for the 24-year-old from Hamburg. It’s not just the new love that makes Zverev so satisfied, but his increasingly successful athletic career path. On the home stretch of a long tennis season, which, according to the company, is the most successful of his career with five tournament victories, the only thing missing now is the crowning glory: the title at the ATP finals.
There is no question that this will be a complicated undertaking. The field of participants in this elite tournament is led by Novak Djokovic. The world number one won the Masters tournament in Paris-Bercy a week ago. Then there is Daniil Medvedev. The Russian is defending champion at the ATP Finals and, alongside Djokovic and Zverev, something like the player of the season. Many say that the US Open champion is the first contender for the tennis throne, should the era of the “Big Three”, the big three, consisting of Djokovic (34), Rafael Nadal (36) and Roger Federer (40) to really be over once.
Time is running out for Zverev
On closer inspection, it is actually only the Serbian who keeps Medvedev away from number 1. Nadal and Federer are not only older, but also more prone to injury, which is why they are not even in Turin. Zverev is behind the Russian as third in the world rankings in a hopeful wait position. And anyway: time is running out for him. Everything seems under control.
“I’ve calmed down and now make the decisions myself,” Zverev replied at a press conference in Turin shortly before the start of the tournament when asked what has changed compared to before. That was a clear reference to his environment. After several changes in the coaching position and in his management, the German has landed back in the lap of the family. He needs this cozy environment. A lot now runs through his brother Mischa and father Alexander Senior. Other key positions in Zverev’s team will be filled by Sergej Bubka Jr., son of the Russian pole vault legend and himself a tennis professional, and his physio Hugo Gavril. Adjusting the situation did Zverev good. “The stress that you have off the pitch, or the luck you take with you on the tennis court,” he said two days ago in an interview with RTL. A statement that lets you look deeply – and that is typical of the new Sascha Zverev, who is increasingly giving insights into his soul.
Key moment Olympic victory
The 24-year-old can still seem aloof at times, and some critics attribute a certain arrogance to him, which is why the almost six-foot-tall man does not yet have the status in his home country that Boris Becker had at the same time Had a career in Germany. But Zverev is also catching up in this regard – and has taken the next level in his personality development this year. Winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics also played a major role in this. Zverev emphasizes this again and again. After this “most emotional experience” of his career, the man from Hamburg now also knows what humility means. The Olympic victory definitely did something to Zverev.
In terms of sport, the right-hander has worked hard on himself in many important areas of his sport: serve, backhand, flexibility, physique. Tennis player Zverev has also matured. In Turin he won the important opening match against Matteo Berrettini late on Monday evening. The Italian had to retire shortly after losing the first set due to an injury. Tears flowed at the local hero. Zverev had played very well until then and was not impressed by the frenetic Italian audience. Afterwards, however, he wasn’t happy about the victory either: “We’re playing in Italy, he was looking forward to the event for a whole year,” said Zverev. “And now it’s over after a sentence. That’s a shitty feeling, to be honest.” Zverev still needs four wins, depending on the group constellation, maybe three, to crown himself in Turin. Everything just seems possible for him.
An ugly topic, which doesn’t fit the current “Feel-Good-Zverev” at all, but which has been weighing on him for a long time, are the accusations of violence made by his ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova. Zverev continues to deny this vehemently and at every opportunity. In the meantime, the players’ association ATP is also investigating the incident. Zverev supports that. It is testimony against testimony. In the tennis world people whisper about it, sometimes quietly, sometimes a little louder. It is the same again in Turin. What speaks for Zverev: From a purely sporting point of view, the background noise has so far not had any influence on his game. His new PR agency “Berk Communications” takes care of everything else. Their specialty, as you can read on the homepage, is “Reputation Management”. We remember: Just keep the stress away from the tennis court. That remains the top priority for Zverev.