Alexander Zverev has not managed to win a Grand Slam title this year either. The German champion had a very regular season in terms of results and is the first follower of Jannik Sinner in the ATP ranking, but he missed once again that sharp as expected from a player of his level.
Sascha was defeated by Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open semi-final, losing a match that had long been under his control. He reached the final at the French Open, but lost a two-set lead to one against Carlos Alcaraz before collapsing in the deciding set. At the Wimbledon Championships he was playing a great tennis, but a knee injury prevented him from playing his chances to the full.
The US Open seemed to be his big chance to finally win a Major, especially after the premature eliminations of Novak Djokovic and Carlitos Alcaraz. Zverev felt the pressure and did not manage well in the quarterfinals against Taylor Fritz, playing a bad match from all points of view and suffering another disappointment. Years pass and Alexander struggles to break this curse. The German has arrived about halfway through his career, but the rise of young talents like Alcaraz and Sinner forces him to think twice before he has any regrets in a few years.
A real curse
Sascha’s career is excellent so far and it’s right to highlight the results he has achieved, but he needs another step to unlock himself in the Majors. In a recent interview with Eurosport, Nicolas Mahut explained what is the main problem of Zverev in the Grand Slam tournaments: “The years go by. I think he doesn’t doubt yet. He’s convinced that he will succeed in winning a Grand Slam. Personally, I think so too. But he’s going to have to change his game. Be a little more offensive. And when matches don’t go as planned, he has to find solutions, take a Jannik Sinner example, think about his way of playing. That’s all the work he has to do to win these two-three matches that make a big difference in a career.”
The German champion is more than 4000 points away from Sinner and will hardly be able to compete for the top of the ATP ranking by the end of 2024. After his loss against Fritz in New York, Sascha reflected on his poor level: “I did nothing to deserve to win. It’s as simple as that. Taylor absolutely deserved to win today. I’m not taking anything away from him. He played quite a good match.
From the baseline I played absolutely terrible. My backhand, I don’t remember since being on tour hitting my backhand this badly. I just don’t. I mean, I was missing shots which were in the middle of the court with no pace, and bottom of the net. Terrible. Just absolutely terrible by me.
My forehand was OK, actually. My serve was OK. But my most reliable shot, the shot that I’m most known for, the shot that you normally wake me up at 3:00 a.m. and I would not miss, was absolutely not there today, and I have no words for it, to be honest. I didn’t know what to do anymore. At some point I just had so many questions in my mind. I had absolutely no idea whether I should go for it, whether I should put the ball on the court. I just have no answers right now.”
Sascha didn’t take the chance
The current world number 2 will try to close the season well and prepare for 2025, where he must prove that he is finally ready to become Grand Slam champion. Speaking with Eurosport, WTA legend Justine Henin also reflected on Zverev’s current status: “It’s a huge disappointment. There were expectations. I was mostly the way. I found him extremely defensive. At one point, he thinks that to win a Grand Slam, and he was not far from being able to do it in Roland Garros and at the same time so far away, he must dare even more. Against Fritz, I saw him fall back into his ways. I think there are some tough decisions to make in order to win a Grand Slam tournament, especially on the timing.
It was his 73rd match! He can highlight his backhand that dropped him but for me it goes further than that. And at some point, you have to save yourself and find your peak of form, Djokovic is the master in this matter. There are a lot of things that Zverev has to work on, even though he came back after his serious injury and is very consistent, he will be second in the world. But at the same time, he had a golden opportunity here to reach at least the final and he could not take it so it is a big disappointment.”
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