tennis
Wimbledon-Aus: Zverev is still aiming for the top ten
Alexander Zverev waves to the spectators after his defeat. photo
© Victoria Jones/PA Wire/dpa
Wimbledon continues without Alexander Zverev. But the Olympic champion does not see the early end as a setback. Nevertheless, a few questions arise.
The next early end in Wimbledon threw Alexander Zverev not off track.
There has never been a love affair between the lawn classic and Germany’s best tennis player. Zverev quickly checked that the most popular tournament of the season would enter the decisive phase without him. The Olympic champion didn’t let his confidence be taken away by the defeat in the third round against the Italian Matteo Berrettini.
“Not much has changed now. I’m still very positive about the next few weeks,” said Zverev after the 3: 6, 6: 7 (4: 7), 6: 7 (5: 7) against Wimbledon -Finalists of 2021. “I’m close to the top ten.”
Returning from foot injury
Because he was unable to play in the second half of 2022 due to a serious foot injury, he now has no points to defend for the rest of the season. The return to the top group of world tennis is thus predetermined, especially since Zverev no longer seems to have any health problems after his comeback. The 26-year-old looked fit at Wimbledon and in the weeks before, and his performance was good against Berrettini.
The Italian just served too well that day. He allowed Zverev a single breakball, which he was unable to use in the first service game of the game. “I can’t blame myself for much today,” said Zverev, who was the last of the ten German tennis professionals to retire. “I felt I played one of the best matches I’ve played in my career here at Wimbledon.”
Zverev not a Wimbledon performer
Which is not difficult, because Zverev has rarely been able to convince in Wimbledon and has never been able to get much positive from the unloved lawn. He has never advanced past the round of 16 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Wimbledon remains Zverev’s weakest Grand Slam tournament. In Melbourne, Paris and New York, Zverev was at least in the semifinals, and at the US Open 2020 even in the final. Only in Wimbledon does it not really work out for him.
About six months after returning to the tennis tour after the serious foot injury, Zverev still sees himself on the right track. “Yes,” was his brief answer at the press conference when asked whether he was satisfied with the development since his comeback.
But the days in Wimbledon also raised a few questions. Sure, the delays caused by the bad weather and the organizers’ questionable appointments were a disadvantage for Zverev and tugged on his nerves. But the feeling remains that the environment around the native of Hamburg is not professional enough to fulfill the dream of the Grand Slam title.
Criticism of the coaching staff
The harsh criticism of his coaching team around father Alexander Senior and brother Mischa after the second round win against the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki remained a side note, but the impression continues to arise that Zverev would benefit from a coach without a family connection. The separation from the Spaniard Sergi Bruguera in the run-up to the French Open was received with astonishment in the scene. Experts and competitors don’t really have Zverev on the bill at the moment when it comes to who will determine men’s tennis in the near future.
Players like Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas or Holger Rune have overtaken the German number one. Not to mention world number one Carlos Alcaraz from Spain, who will now be challenged by Zverev’s conqueror Berrettini this Monday. Zverev believes the Italian is capable of a surprise. “If he keeps playing like this and serving, he can win the tournament.”
Home game in Hamburg
After a few days’ break in Monte-Carlo, he is due for the next tournament in his native city of Hamburg in mid-July. “Of course I’m looking forward to it,” said Zverev about the short return home and on clay before the hard court season in the USA begins in August with the US Open (August 28 to September 10) as the highlight. “I feel good and ready for the next tasks that are coming up,” said the former number two in the world. It remains to be seen whether that is really the case.