At the Masters event in Monte Carlo starts for Alexander Zverev the clay court season. It is the surface on which he injured himself so badly. And now wants to get back to the top of the world.
by SID
last edited: 04/07/2023, 1:48 p.m
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Alexander Zverev holds the medicine ball firmly in his hands and slides across the red sand. The Olympic champion struggles shortly before the start of the Masters in his adopted home of Monte Carlo, which heralds the most important time of the season for him.
“My goal is to play my best tennis again for the clay court season,” Zverev said. After months of trying to get back to his former form, the 25-year-old wants to prove on what is probably his best surface that he is a force to be reckoned with. The strong tournament in the Principality, which starts on Sunday, should be the first pointer – also with a view to the French Open from the end of May.
Make a mark on sand
The time for positioning begins with a view to the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, in which the Hamburger injured himself so severely last summer. In the semifinals of Roland Garros, he twisted his ankle in top form and at eye level with clay court king Rafael Nadal so badly that he had to sit out more than half a year after an operation. The confidence in the body is now back and the shape is noticeably improved.
The clear defeat in the second round duel in Miami against the Japanese Taro Daniel (0: 6, 4: 6) should only remain a slip, the German number one had previously made clear steps forward in Dubai and Indian Wells. Now Zverev wants to build on that and set an example in a field that is still difficult to assess for the coming weeks.
competition abound
Nadal, the 14-time Paris winner, canceled for Monte Carlo due to injury, as did US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz. Both will still be expected on sand. The same applies to world number one Novak Djokovic, who returns to the tour in Monaco. He was not allowed to play the tournaments in the USA due to a lack of corona vaccination.
They are joined by Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and Norwegian Casper Ruud, both of whom were in the final at the French Open. The young Dane Holger Rune will also attack and want to underpin his status as a top ten player.
Spheres in which Zverev (ATP-16.) also wants to advance again. For this he needs strong results in the highly exciting clay court season.
