Zverev itching to face reborn Rafa and Roger
in the French Open was three games. Winning a grand slam losing three games in a set, max, is something that I don’t know if we’ve seen before.
“All of us are working hard to try to replace them a little bit. This is what we’re all working for, to win the biggest tournaments in the world.
“I’ve won two Masters this year. I’m still working on grand slams.
“At the moment what they’re doing on the tennis court is amazing.”
With last year’s tour finals champ Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic out injured, there will be a different winner for the first time since 2011.
Zverev – who plays Marin Cilic in his first match today – believes he has climbed up a level this year.
He added: “I’ve had a great season. Winning two Masters is special for any player. The top four has been dominating that level of tournament. Nobody has won two Masters in one year for 10 years outside those big four. That’s a great achievement.”
And with the longer-term future of the established elite uncertain, Zverev is focused on leading the next generation.
He added: “There’s a lot of question marks of how they’re going to come back. But they’re great players. They’re always going to be tough opponents.
“I just want to try to keep playing the best I can, try to improve and to compete in the biggest tournaments. It’s as simple as that.”