JAAAAAA!
Alexander Zverev (24) is tennis world champion for the second time since 2018! In the final of the ATP finals in Turin, the Olympic champion defeated long-term rival Daniil Medvedev (25) 6: 4, 6: 4. After five bankruptcies in a row, it was the first victory against his Russian feared opponent.
After the birth of daughter Mayla, the Olympic victory, the return to third place in the world and the new friend Sophia Thomalla (32), who was not there in Turin, now the world title – what an outstanding year that the match point sealed an ace after 1:14 hours.
“You beat me five times in a row, thank you for letting me play the match here,” said Zverev, laughing while still on the pitch. “We have known each other since we were twelve years old and I hope we still have a lot of matches against each other.”
Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP
“data-zoom-src =” https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/mit-seinen-kraftbaren-schlaegen-war-alexander-zverev-der-dominierende-player-der-atp-finals-6f02d380f7a74c83adcd31a0509b1041-78310578/ Image / 6.bild.jpg “/> With his powerful strokes, Alexander Zverev was the dominant player in the ATP FinalsPhoto: MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP
In the first set, an early break to 2-1 was enough to put the Russians in their place. Medvedev tried again and again to involve his opponent in long rallies, but Zverev held up, even if he had to fight much harder in the semifinals against Novak Djokovic than the US Open winner against the Norwegian Casper Ruud.
The hamburger didn’t get to bed until around 4.30 a.m. on Sunday morning. Medvedev had long been asleep, because he had already completed his match in the afternoon in rapid succession and without much resistance.
But Zverev wasn’t getting tired. In the second round he also managed the early break and again served the sentence. The parallel to 2018: At that time he lost in the group stage in London to Djokovic, against whom he then won the final. This is how it went three years later with Medvedev: first the bankruptcy on Tuesday in the group. Now the triumph!
“It shouldn’t be the last time that I’ll win this trophy,” said Zverev. Hopefully then father Alexander Sr. will be there again. “Everyone is here: Mom, my brother Mischa, his family. Only my father is missing. I hope he’ll tour with us again soon, ”he continued.
For Zverev, after a good 80 matches, a fabulous season is now over. On Monday morning the plane is going to the Maldives, where it will relax for ten days. Then the training starts again. Because he is still waiting for one thing: the first Grand Slam victory. That should follow in January in Melbourne at the Australian Open.
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