The eyes didn’t want to close and nobody was hungry either!
Tennis star Alexander Zverev (24) and the night after the bankruptcy at the Australian Open. Seeded number 3, the Olympic champion had already failed in the round of 16 due to Denis Shapovalov (22/Canada). In three weak sentences.
In anger, Alexander Zverev smashed his rackets in the match against Denis ShapovalovPhoto: Tertius Pickard/AP
Not only are number 1 and the long-awaited first Grand Slam title gone for the time being, in the worst case the Hamburg player is “only” number 4 in the world after the tennis tournament if Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas wins. “It would be stupid to talk about a Grand Slam title after this performance. I’m far from there,” Zverev said after the match.
But that didn’t matter on Monday night in his room at the Hotel Crown. Zverev didn’t feel like doing anything, the end was too annoying. Brother and manager Mischa (34) was eating alone with trainer Michail Ledowskich (35), the younger Zverev had no appetite.
For understandable reasons. In the night the comforters came. “We sat together until 3 a.m.,” says Mischa Zverev. “We” are the two brothers and the coach. Analysis was run. A game before the cracker in the quarterfinals against superstar Rafael Nadl (35) was over, how could that happen?
Mischa Zverev: “He was very honest in his analysis. In fact, he was just bad. He could have found some excuse that something hurt him, but he didn’t. I like this honesty.”
Mischa Zverev at Federation Square in Melbourne. He also left on Monday, training with his brother at home in MonacoPhoto: Frank Molter/dpa
Did the night reveal anything new? “He put himself under too much pressure, he couldn’t handle it,” says his brother. Against Nadal he could have played freely but against Shapovalov it was a must to get through. From the outside, but also for him. “He’s very sad now, but he won’t give up now,” said the older brother.
On Monday evening at around 9.40 p.m. local time, Zverev boarded the plane in Melbourne. Destination: Nice. There are two days off, then training. The 2020 US Open finalist will open again on Monday at the tournament in Montpellier. On this day, he actually wanted to really enjoy his rush of victory from the final on Sunday. So now it’s Montpellier instead of Melbourne.
After the tournament in France, it’s off to Mexico, where Zverev plays one of his favorite tournaments, in Acapulco. He’s the defending champion. Then it’s off to the Masters in Indian Wells and Miami.
Will girlfriend Sophia Thomalla (32) be there again? That was missing in Australia. On the one hand she had professional commitments, on the other hand it is not easy to get a visa for Australia at the moment. And in the end she didn’t miss anything.
The only joy in these difficult days: Zverev becomes an uncle for the second time. Brother Mischa and his wife Evgenija are expecting their second son at the end of April. How nice would have been a Grand Slam trophy from Uncle Alexander to welcome the newcomer to earth.