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The former number 2 in the world has returned to the top of the world after a difficult year.
Legend: Measures again with the very best Alexander Zverev. imago images/Shutterstock
Almost exactly 15 months ago, a world collapsed for Alexander Zverev. In the French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal, the German suffered a serious ankle injury towards the end of the 2nd set. Not only the game was over, but also the rest of the 2022 season.
Since then, Zverev, who would have been number 1 in the world with a success in Paris last year, has been fighting to catch up. The 26-year-old suffered a few blows in the neck and lost against opponents who normally couldn’t hold a candle to him in normal form. “I was so afraid that it would be over for me at the level,” says Zverev in the RTL-Documentation «The Unfinished» about his doubts.
Many titles – but the really big one is missing
The title of this documentary, which accompanied Zverev on the arduous path back to the top of the world, was of course not chosen by chance. His palmarès is already richly adorned with 20 titles, the two triumphs at the ATP Finals and the Olympic victory. But the lanky Hamburger is still missing the long-awaited Grand Slam title.
Zverev’s “mane”: Result of a lost bet
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Legende:
imago images/Panoramic
Perhaps one or the other has already wondered what Alexander Zverev’s “lion’s mane” is all about. No, the German does not suffer from a “hairdresser phobia”, the long hair is the result of a lost Monopoly game against his partner Sophia Thomalla last December. The bet: Zverev is not allowed to cut his hair for a year.
Zverev has been in the final of a major once so far. In the “Corona year” 2020, he lost a dramatic, if not always high-quality, US Open final to Dominic Thiem. Zverev gave a 2-0 set lead against his good buddy. It was a defeat that the still “unfinished” had to nibble at for a long time.
It’s one of the best moments of my career.
Three years and a serious injury later, Zverev is again in the quarter-finals in Flushing Meadows – an achievement that the ambitious German would not normally erupt in. But after the thrilling five-set win against Jannik Sinner (ITA) in the round of 16, Zverev spoke of “one of the best moments of my career.”
In the quarter-finals, the 1.98-meter giant with Carlos Alcaraz probably has the trickiest task in the tennis circus. But Zverev knows how to trip up the Spanish high-flyer: the German has won 3 of the 5 previous duels.
What else does Zverev have in the tank?
The question is how well Zverev physically put up with the almost five-hour attrition battle against Sinner. «I will do my best and fight until the last moment. I will be ready, »said the world number 12 immediately after the round of 16 – and completely exhausted.
It is quite possible that the power reserves for the quarter-finals will not be sufficient. But regardless of the outcome of the game, one thing is clear: Zverev can be expected again in the coming months.
2023-09-06 00:44:00
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