Alexander Zverev - everything started again
Alexander Zverev is facing a new beginning after separating from David Ferrer. The lack of continuity in the coaching position makes the hunt for the German number one for a Grand Slam title difficult.
by SID
last edit: Jan 09, 2021, 02:44 pm
Alexander Zverev finally felt that he had arrived. "Perfect" is David Ferrer for him. Exactly the right coach to achieve the really big goals, said the German tennis top player again and again since the summer. But now everything is over, after only six months the 23-year-old from Hamburg is without a star coach who should lead him to the long-awaited first Grand Slam triumph. The year 2021 begins again with turbulence.
Shortly before Zverev's departure to Australia, the surprising end of the collaboration caused a stir in the scene. After the noisy partings of Juan Carlos Ferrero and Ivan Lendl, the farewell was peaceful this time, but the result is the same. Instead of finally teasing out the decisive percentage points with a former world-class player in the long term, Zverev is about to start over after the next interlude.
Zverev only wishes Ferrer the best
"I would like to thank David for the months that we spent together, the time on and off the pitch, and wish him all the best for the future," wrote the German number one after Ferrer had spoken in Spanish media . For him it is "not the right time" for a collaboration, the family is above all, said the 40-year-old: "We thought the time was right, but in the end it wasn't."
According to Ferrer, "absolutely nothing has happened between us, everything is fine". His engagement at Zverev fell during a very eventful time with sporting successes, during which the world number seven from Hamburg also fought against allegations of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend.
In his season debut Down Under as part of the ATP Cup (February 1 to 5) and at the subsequent Australian Open from February 8, Zverev will once again rely solely on the advice of his father Alexander Senior and his brother Mischa. So far, no prominent trainer has been with the Zverevs for more than a year, after the Lendl-Aus 2019, competence disputes also became public.
Mischa Zverev as captain at the ATP Cup
It seemed to fit better with Ferrer, also for Zverev connoisseur Michael Kohlmann, the men's boss of the German Tennis Association (DTB). "The cooperation had a positive effect on the outside, very fruitful. The successes were there, the harmony was there. It also came as a surprise to me," Kohlmann told SID. Zverev made it to the finals of the US Open, stayed with himself in difficult match phases, fought. Ferrer's handwriting became clear. Now the break again.
"I believe that it is certainly advisable to have a long-term cooperation for development," said Kohlmann. If you look at the professionals at the top of the world rankings, it is mostly a question of collaborations over several years. In the short term, Kohlmann does not see too big a setback for his best player. Zverev has the constant with his father and also his brother Mischa, who will look after the German team at the ATP Cup in Melbourne.