Alexander Zverev continued his momentum on the indoor hard-courts as he notched up his second ATP Finals win on Wednesday.
The German is riding a seven-match win streak after capturing the Paris Masters title and remains undefeated in Turin, yet to drop a set in his victories against Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.
Alexander Zverev is pushing hard for a third ATP Finals title, showcasing some of his best form this season on the indoor courts.
However, it’s been a frustrating year for the 27-year-old, who’s watched Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dominate, each capturing two majors.
The French Open slipped just out of his grasp, with Alcaraz swooping in to deny him his first Grand Slam – a painful reminder of the ground he’s determined to cover.
What Alexander Zverev is doing to ‘keep up’ with Sinner and Alcaraz
As Zverev prepares for a showdown with Alcaraz, the player who blocked his path to a first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, he’s sharpening his game with extra training sessions after the conclusion of his matches.
Meanwhile, Sinner has surged ahead this season, securing two major titles and solidifying his place at the top of the rankings.
Zverev’s recent post-match practice reveal his determination to close the gap, but also confirm his acknowledgement of that gap, with the two younger players having clambered past him at pace.
Quizzed on why he stayed late after his match against Ruud to hit some extra balls, he explained in his press conference: “Today was about the return only. I feel like Casper has been serving extremely well, but I thought I could return better. That was today.
“In general, as I said in Paris, it’s not about today, it’s not about tomorrow, it’s not about the next match. I want to improve a few things for the next season already.
“I want to develop my game further so I can compete with Jannik and Carlos. As simple as that. They’re the two benchmarks right now. They’re the ones that are winning Grand Slams. I want to be part of that group. I know they’re going to improve, so I have to keep up.”
Alexander Zverev won’t forgive myself if he can’t capture a Grand Slam
Zverev, like many others, won’t forgive himself if he fails to capture a Grand Slam title soon.
Unfortunately, he’s found himself receiving unwanted labels, with many, somewhat reasonably, seeing him as a player who frequently falters under pressure.
He lost the 2020 U.S. Open final after being two sets up and let the French Open slip away this year from a 2-1 lead.
At the U.S. Open this year, with both Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic eliminated early, Zverev had a clear path to the final but couldn’t capitalize, leaving him once again just short of tennis’ biggest prize.
In that sense, he may well lack that edge it takes to clinch a Grand Slam.
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