Alexander Zverev at the US Open: "His game is not developing"
Alexander Zverev does not have to do without a man with a grim look and an impenetrable expression, even in New York. In the picture of two coaches with a poker face on the edge of the center court, however.
by Jörg Allmeroth from New York
last edit:
Aug 26, 2019, 04:09 pm
When the ATP world champion starts his US Open mission against Moldovan Radu Albot on Court 17 of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Tuesday, Ivan Lendl is no longer a super coach for a grand for the first time since the New York elimination games of the previous year -Slam tournament in Team Zverev - the guest appearance of the former world number one was a rather fleeting episode in the life of Zverev junior, a very limited alliance.
Quite different from the life-long work with father Alexander Zverev, the man with the sparse expression on his face, the great silent man. "Two coaches are one too many," said Zverev senior in the midst of the cabal and slash game behind the scenes at Zverev and ultimately started the process that led to Lendl's nasty departure. During the Hamburg tournament, the Czech-born and former companion of Daddy Zverev announced the farewell in an unfriendly act overnight - without having a great effect on Zverev junior. He just said dryly: “It doesn't change that much. My father is still my trainer. It will always be somehow. "
What does the Zverev crisis mean for Papa Alexander?
But one question will accompany Zverev at this US Open, for the rest of the 2019 season and beyond: Will the father-son relationship defy all storms? Will the father remain the main responsible in the Zverev team if the son's crisis continues, maybe even worsens? A crisis that is most visible to the public is the psycho-crack at the 22-year-old from Hamburg, a fatal cascade of double errors in almost every game.
When Zverev suddenly brought Lendl into the team last year without much consultation with his dad, it also seemed to be something of an indication of a process of umbilical cord closure, of a new openness in his tennis company. The company had always been held in key positions only as a family business, with the addition of specialists such as physiotherapist Hugo Gravil or fitmacher Jez Green. Lendl's entry formed a turning point, at least from the perspective of late summer 2018. But father Zverev finally prevailed, Lendl remained only a marginal figure, his work and actions an intermezzo.
This year, Zverev not only appears on the defensive in the center courts, in a defensive pose. But also away from the playground. For many in the industry, the young German in his entire appearance no longer seems like the stormy newcomer, who can mix up the pecking order and even be a threat to the really big ones. "For me, Zverev is in a process of stagnation," says John McEnroe , the former genius and now TV expert, "his game is no longer developing."
McEnroe, and not just him, of course also subliminally teases Daddy Zverev, the son's eternal companion. Zverev also sees someone like Mats Wilander, the former tennis front man, in need: “Lendl's departure did not solve the problems. But problems are shown. "Zverev had to get rid of the idea that" somehow the family can and will sort everything out. "
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Zverev now at Team8 with Federer
All of the big players sooner or later, in a sometimes painful process, thankfully removed their discoverers and sponsors and also parents from their career responsibilities. Becker, the German hero, can still remember how he parted ways with Günter Bosch at the Australian Open: “There was an outcry across the country. I was the bad boy. "
Maestro Roger Federer also ended coaching relationships when he thought he needed to take a new step in development. However, Federer did not part with his coaches in the crisis, but mostly in success. Tony Godsick, Federer's longtime agent, observes some things up close, of course he also consulted with the Swiss about all possible personal details. Now Godsick will soon also become Zverev's business owner, as head of the Team8 agency, which he founded with Federer. It will be interesting to see what Godsick has to say to his client beyond sponsorship contracts, numbers and dates.
US Open 2019: TV, livestream, live ticker, draw, prize money, defending champion