Slam breakthrough beckons for Zverev
Just a matter of when, not if, for next generation leader, tennis stars say
WITH Masters Series trophies, “Big Four” scalps and an appearance at the ATP Tour Finals before his 21st birthday, grand slam success is seen as a matter of when, not if, for German wunderkind Alex Zverev.
It is also one of the last gaps on an already comprehensive tennis CV that features six titles, including five in a breakout last year.
In the age of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the tyro touted the “Next Big Thing” can generally expect a beat-down from the game’s modern greats.
But Zverev has been giving his own back, felling Federer twice in their five matches to earn high praise from the Swiss master.
“What I like about Zverev is he has the full package,” Federer said glowingly at the ATP Finals, where he was pushed hard in three sets by the 20-year-old.
The future, it is often said, has been slow to arrive in men’s tennis, but Zverev has leap-frogged a string of young talents to be first in line for “Generation Next”.
As 22-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios battles hip problems and tantrums, Zverev has stormed into the top 10 on a wave of impressive self-belief and will be ranked fourth at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open that starts on Monday.
Confidence can be a fickle friend for young sparks, but Zverev tends not to dwell on defeats.
“Every good tennis player has to have a short memory,” he said in a recent magazine interview. “Good or bad.”
He might, of course, remember little else but tennis, as the son of playing parents and the younger brother of Mischa, the world No 33, who is 10 years older.
Zverev’s father, Alexander, represented Russia in the Davis Cup, while he credits his mother for constructing his formidable backhand.
As a child, he followed his brother and parents on tour, soaking up the lessons of impromptu hits with some of the game’s leading players.
More than a talent reaching blindly for the stars, Zverev’s development has been a five-year project of Soviet planning, with milestones reached in German efficiency.
His top-10 breakthrough came in Rome, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final to become the youngest Masters 1000 winner since Djokovic, himself, won in Miami when he was 19.
He became the youngest qualifier at the ATP Finals since former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in 2008.
By beating Federer in the Montreal final, he became the first player outside the Big Four to win multiple Masters 1000 titles in the same season since David Nalbandian in 2007.
With a thunderous serve, impressive mobility for a 1.98m player and time to burn, little wonder Nadal spoke of Zverev as a future world No 1 as early as 2016.
Just after his 18th birthday, Zverev had made his main draw debut at a grand slam at Wimbledon in 2015, winning his first round match in a five-set marathon against Russian veteran Teymuraz Gabashvili, then world No 53.
He gave Nadal a huge fright in the third round of last year’s Australian Open, pushing the Spanish great to five sets.
Zverev was stopped in the fourth round at Wimbledon by Milos Raonic in another five-setter.
He was, however, disappointed with early exits at the French Open and at Flushing Meadows.
Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone said in a podcast last month: “He’s had a rough majors [record].
“I think part of it is maturation, [it’s] more physical maturation.
“I think mentally and in terms of strategy, he understands shot decision and he understands his game extremely well.”
Zverev’s ability to grind out five-set wins against the top players remains a doubt, but he has been working on his endurance with Jez Green – the man who made Scot Andy Murray’s fitness his most powerful weapon.
Zverev also brought former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero into his management team in August to supplement his father’s coaching.
“I think now [for him], it’s just about trying to peak and play your best tennis at the right moments,” Annacone said.
“And I think with Juan Carlos Ferrero in his corner and Jez Green and his dad, he has the right setup, so for him, it’s just [a matter of] when.” – Reuters