On June 3rd of last year twenty-six-year-old German Alexander Zverev was ranked 3rd in the world. He took Court Philippe-Chatrier on a Friday in Paris in hopes of reaching his first French Open final appearance. His opponent, the well-known Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The stage is set, it’s the Matador vs the Lion. The Lion fresh off a quarterfinal victory over another matador of his own, Carlos Alcaraz. Well, three hours into his bout with Rafael Nadal, Zverev’s season ended via a brutal ankle injury. The timing could not have come at a worse time as the German was surging and regardless of the outcome, was going to be ranked 2nd in the world.
Zverev underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments just four days later. Shortly after, he took to Instagram to give his fans an update on his future.
Imagine the day Zverev comes out of surgery, and you tell him, “Don’t worry about it, we’ll be back here next year. You’ll be #17 in the live rankings come this time. You’ll have the sixth shortest odds to win Wimbledon as well.” What does he do? Smile? Cry? Laugh? I’m genuinely asking.
Well…
Wouldn’t you know it, Alexander Zverev found himself in the exact same spot. He became a semifinalist at Roland Garros just one year later.
But how? To get back to that level in only twelve months?! The kind of level that gets rid of an in-form Carlos Alcaraz in four sets? What’s the secret?
We got that answer a few weeks ago. The beloved Jonathan Pinfield of Live Sports FM out of the UK had a chance to speak with Zverev following his Round of 16 victory over Grigor Dimitrov. Pinfield decided to kick off the interview by asking the 26-year-old why his fans call him the lion.
Pinfield: “Your fans call you the lion, is it because you’re confident, athletic, some might say handsome, or is it because you sleep all the time? I’d like to ask you, how will the Lion sleep tonight and what will you be dreaming about?
Zverev: “Yeah what is it? Lions sleep 18 hours a day, have sex for four hours a day, and eat for two?
Pinfield: “WHAT A LIFE!”
Zverev: “Doesn’t sound too be for me.”
A loose Zverev is a dangerous one. Looking for a dark horse at the All-England Club? Well, you might’ve found it. As grass season is upon us, it’s no secret that the surface suits his game. Zverev is 33-17 all-time and wins matches 65% of the time on the green stuff. Zverev’s game is characterized by several strengths: the powerful serve, solid groundstrokes, and strong defensive skills. As of late, his movement has been reminiscent of his 2021 self. His ability to move as well as he does on the court, particularly for a player of his height, spells trouble for anybody in his path who doesn’t take him seriously. Most importantly, his aggressive approach to the game seems to be the part that he’s most confident in right now. He’s following up some of his serves up with such ferocity. On top of all that, in his current form, his ability to hit both forehands and backhands with equal proficiency reminds us all of why we fell in love with Alexander Zverev in the first place.
He followed up his semifinal run at Roland Garros with a quick surface change and hit the grass running. The German didn’t drop a set in three straight matches in Halle until facing a scorching hot Alexander Bublik in the semifinals where he was ousted 6-3 7-5. I expect his current form to continue even in his half of the draw, which we’ve all deemed the “fun” one. His half includes the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Daniil Medvedev, Sebastian Korda, Holger Rune, and Andy Murray. In most camps, Zverev is not being taken seriously as a legitimate threat at the All-England Club. I don’t see it that way.
Let’s be real, we’re talking about a guy who has 19 singles titles who knows what it feels like to be the second ranked tennis player in the world. Also, let’s not forget his record versus the “Big 3.” We know it’s been an up and down two years for him, but he seems to have completely gotten past all of his mental hurdles. It does not matter how you feel about him personally with everything that’s transpired over the years, he is a threat and everybody knows it. You can wait around for him to prove it to you or you can be a part of the ride. Your pick.
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
