Alexander Zverev - The next lost Grand Slam year
Alexander Zverev has to wait for his first victory in a Grand Slam victory after canceling his participation in the US Open. In 2022 the stars were actually favorable for this.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Aug 23, 2022, 10:39 am
In 2001, the supporters of FC Schalke 04 consoled themselves with the title "Master of Hearts" after the Bundesliga title seemed to be heading towards Gelsenkirchen for a few moments. In the end, the championship trophy ended up at FC Bayern Munich, who dominated German football in a way that only Rafael Nadal otherwise did on the Philippe-Chatrier court. There was also a master of hearts there this season, at least of the German hearts. Because Alexander Zverev really demanded everything from the great champion until his accident at the end of the second set. But Nadal won the tournament again.
It's wonderful to speculate whether Zverev would really have been able to close the match against Nadal. After all, the Spaniard had won the first set in the tie-break, and the decision was still pending in the second. Zverev felt like he was the fitter man - who would have been a favorite in the final against Casper Ruud, just as Rafael Nadal was all the more.
So much for the subjunctive.
Zverev is defeated by Shapovalov in Australia
In fact, it can be said that Alexander Zverev has to wait at least until the Australian Open 2023 for his first Grand Slam title. From the point of view of the German number one, this is all the more regrettable because the signs in Melbourne at the beginning of this year could not have been better: Zverev arrived as the newly crowned ATP world champion and found a tableau in which the towering favorite missing: Novak Djokovic.
But Zverev lost to Denis Shapovalov after a poor performance. So the first chance was gone, the next Alexander Zverev worked for himself with his splendid success against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros. Until he just fell into misfortune against Nadal. It quickly became clear that Zverev would not play in Wimbledon afterwards, and now the US Open has not come to fruition either.
No need to fear Alcaraz
Is the window slowly closing for Alexander Zverev, who is only 25 years old but is already a tour veteran? Tendency: rather no. Because Zverev does not have to hide from the competition of the same age or from below, not even from Carlos Alcaraz. Daniil Medvedev has only won one tournament this year, Stefanos Tsitsipas just last week in Cincinnati overcame his month-long low (exception: the tournament success in Mallorca). At this level, a fit Alexander Zverev not only plays along, he is probably even a nose ahead.
And he has already proven that he can compete with the two still reigning old masters Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at Grand Slam level (even if a win against the two in the majors is still pending). So next exit: Melbourne next January.