Sunday November 14th 2021
“Done and tired” before the ATP Finals
Zverev pulls himself up one last time
Alexander Zverev took a few days off before traveling to Turin. There he will play for the title of the best tennis professional of the year from today. The eight strongest players in the world gather for the season finale. Zverev is now working on repeating his 2018 coup.
Alexander Zverev longs for a vacation, he just wants to put the tennis racket aside and relax. “I’m done, I’m tired,” said the 24-year-old, not surprising after a long and successful season with the Olympic victory in Tokyo. But the break still has to wait, for the ATP Finals in Turin Zverev mobilizes his last strength – because he wants to end the year appropriately.
“I’m not going to say that I only came here as a participant. I want to do well and win matches, that’s clear,” said the German number one before the opening match this Sunday (9 p.m. / Sky) against the Italian Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini. Even if the battery is no longer full. “If you play at a high level all the time, if you win a lot of matches all the time, it is also normal that you get tired at some point,” said Zverev.
The efforts of this long year, which has so far held five tournament victories for Zverev, but was also turbulent away from the court with the accusations of violence by an ex-girlfriend and the ongoing investigation by the professional organization ATP, were most recently shown at the Masters in Paris. In the semifinals he ran out of breath, in the 2: 6, 2: 6 against the Russian US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, Zverev had no chance.
“No time to take care of us”
Accordingly, the Hamburger approached the preparation for the ATP Finals of the eight best tennis professionals of the year, which he won in 2018. “I haven’t done anything in the last few days,” said Zverev with a laugh: “That’s why I’m a little fresher now than in Paris. I needed that.”
Already in Turin, where the season finale is taking place for the first time in twelve years in London, Zverev has the chance to take revenge. In the red group, the world number three will again have to deal with the defending champion Medvedev, who is one place better. In addition, a duel with debutant Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) awaits his fifth participation in the ATP Finals.
Zverev is avoiding the top favorite Novak Djokovic for the first time. The top German player could meet the world number one from Serbia in the semifinals at the earliest. Djokovic is the only representative from the trio of superstars in Turin, record winner Roger Federer (Switzerland / 6 titles) and Rafael Nadal (Spain) have been injured for a long time.
Zverev is also looking forward to a break. “We have the longest season in professional sport, we don’t have time to take care of our bodies and to regenerate – even mentally,” he said: “I’m relatively happy when I can use the tennis racket for ten days or two weeks put it away and enjoy your vacation. ” But he would still like to play five matches – then Zverev would be in the Turin final on November 21.