Prince of Tennis: Ryoma’s Enduring Legacy

Alexander Zverev was destined to lead world tennis after the withdrawal of the Big Three, but destiny is often capricious and has other plans. With Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal already retired, and with Novak Djokovic downwards, it has been a new generation that has taken control, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner hand in hand. Zverev has settled in the wake of both, in the number three, waiting for an opportunity that will finally allow him to raise his long-awaited Grand Slam. He has won practically everything, but he is missing a big one. He had a golden opportunity in the final of the US Open 2020, but gave up their two-set lead against Dominic Thiem, who belonged to an intermediate, lost generation, in which Grigor Dimitrov.

Our protagonist today was labeled as the best of the first NextGenthe name that was applied to those tennis players projected to take over. But he couldn’t even lead his fifth, which catapulted to the now apagado Daniil Medvedev to number one and victory in the Open the Australia 2021. For one reason or another, Zverev is always in the shadow of others. He has a brilliant track record, with a total of 24 titles which includes seven Masters 1,000, two ATP Finals, one Olympic gold… He only lacks the jewel in the crown, a Grand Slam, which he has won three times.

Now he bumps into Alcaraz in Melbourne, who also has his own unfinished business: He has never won the Australian Open. The balance between the two is equal, 6-6, but Zverev beat the Spaniard here two years ago. It will be “a great battle”, as Carlitos points out, because they both pursue their own desire. They are two phenomena destined to sit on the throne of world tennis, with the difference that one is already the king, and the other continues as the eternal prince.

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