Alexander Zverev wants to win the Davis Cup - but only the "real" one
Not surprisingly, Alexander Zverev confirmed again before the start of the Erste Bank Open 2021 that he would not be available for the Davis Cup final tournament in Innsbruck at the end of November.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Oct 24, 2021, 05:57 pm
A quick question to the tennis aficionados: When did Alexander Zverev actually play his last "real" Davis Cup match? So one with full ranks, opponents on an equal footing and generally high stakes? With all due respect, you shouldn't pay attention to the meeting with the Hungarians in spring 2019: It speaks for Zverev that he has contested both singles, but Peter Nagy and Gabor Borsos will not see the reigning Olympic champion on the ATP tour again anytime soon. If any.
In the previous season, however, things looked different. Anyone who was in the bullring in Valencia - or at least saw the moving images of it - knows: This is the Davis Cup, as it can be in the best case and, according to Alexander Zverev, should be as soon as possible. For a final tournament, as the ITF has been having since 2019 due to the generous (and, according to reports, painfully subdued) start and prize money promises made by the Kosmos Group since 2019, Zverev lacks the leisure. Also for the upcoming event in Innsbruck at the end of November, where the German team will meet Austria and Serbia.
Zverev will be absent, Djokovic will probably play
Winning the Davis Cup has definitely been one of his goals, said a cheerful Zverev at his press conference in Vienna. But if so, ask in the "real", that is, the old format. It can therefore be assumed that the German team boss Michael Kohlmann cannot count on his top man. No surprise, however, because Alexander Zverev has often expressed his concerns when asked. "I keep my word," emphasized the fourth in the world rankings once again in Vienna.
In the town hall, Zverev is going into the race as a co-favorite alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas. With an actually even better starting position: While the Greek has gripped a very unpleasant first-round opponent with Grigor Dimitrov, Zverev starts against Filip Krajinovic. Incidentally, the Serb will be at the start for Serbia in Innsbruck. And announced a few days ago that he expected Novak Djokovic to appear there. The world number one is actually a traditionalist like Zverev, but also went to the Bütt in Madrid in 2019.
Here the single tableau in Vienna
wienmap