Zverev before Wimbledon
Wimbledon start: “I feel as good as I rarely do on grass”
Alexander Zverev has big ambitions. photo
© Thibault Camus/AP/dpa
For a long time, Alexander Zverev was stranger to tennis on the lawn. But this year everything seems different. In Wimbledon he wants to survive the round of 16 for the first time.
“The way I play tennis, the way I feel the ball in the racket and the way I’ve been playing the training sets here so far, that makes me feel positive,” said Zverev on Sunday. “I feel like I have control of the game. And that’s very important on grass.”
Zverev has never made it past the round of 16 at Wimbledon. This makes what is probably the most famous tennis tournament in the world its worst Grand Slam competition. Zverev was already in the semifinals at both the Australian Open and the French Open, and even in the final at the US Open 2020. “I hope it will be different here this year,” he said.
“My draw is not easy”
In the first round, Zverev will face Dutch qualifier Gijs Brouwer. “I don’t know him, I’ve never seen him play,” admitted Zverev. “I heard that he is a left-hander who plays serve and volley. Of course I have someone in the family who has done it very well for 15 years,” said Zverev, looking at his brother Mischa, who is also left-handed and accompanies him at Wimbledon as manager and training partner.
In the rounds after that, Zverev could meet Italian Matteo Berrettini, Australian Alex de Minaur or Spanish world number one Carlos Alcaraz, among others. “My draw isn’t easy. But if I play well, I can win against everyone,” said the 26-year-old. “But that also applies to many others here.”
Germany’s tennis legend Boris Becker has confidence in Zverev in Wimbledon this year. “In terms of basic equipment, Zverev brings everything with him. Strong first serve, strong physique, good basic strokes – he has a perfect game on grass, but unfortunately has not yet been able to fully implement it,” said Becker of the German Press Agency.