ATP Finals London: Alexander Zverev and the symbolic end of 2019
The 2019 season was not the best for Alexander Zverev. The reorientation in its environment should help the German number one to achieve higher goals in the coming year.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Nov 17, 2019, 01:21 pm
It was the wrong moment to be pounded by the demons of the past. Alexander Zverev was back 5: 6 in the first act of the World Cup semi-final against Dominic Thiem on Saturday night, he had a set ball against him, he got ready for his second serve. And then it happened, which had happened so often in darker phases of this confusing, confused, often disturbing season. Zverev's nerves failed, he struck - obviously hesitantly and hesitantly - a double error, the first sentence was lost. And a little later, it was all over, the hope for another surprise coup at the end of the season of the eight best, the dream of a title defense and a very conciliatory end of series in 2019. "This year was not the best for me," said Zverev later, after his 5: 7, 3: 6 defeat against Thiem.
Zverev's demise at this championship was symbolically charged, as it pretty much mirrored a season in which the 22-year-old Hamburger was too often bothered with his own problems and was not really a threat to the other elite players. Zverev's ascent and descent continued until the final stretch until the World Cup in London's O2 Arena - two wins, two defeats, two strong appearances, two rather mixed performances. It was not bitterly disappointing, but it was also not good enough to keep up with the industry's so-called Momentum players - with brilliantly brilliant end-game rivals Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas. All in all, the end of the year had been "quite good," Zverev said, and he could build on that for the 2020 season.
Zverev has lost the punch at the Big Points
However, Zverev has lost ground in recent months in the power game around the tennis summit. Not necessarily because he would have dramatically lost in level. But because the competition has caught up, has gotten better and better - while he, Zverev, has just lost the punch at the so-called "big points". In many critical, tricky, really crucial situations he lacked the gripping attitude, the sovereign attitude and charisma to prevail against his high-profile opponents.
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The whole Kulissenthater in Team Zverev - the clashes with ex-manager Patricio Apey, the wrangling between super coach Ivan Lendl and coach Alexander Zverev senior - struck directly on Zverev's psyche: 385 double errors added to the Hamburger until Saturday night, until his sad departure from the event palace in the east of London. By 2018, it had only been 210, until the triumphal procession in the O2 Arena. Often Zverev has produced ten or more double faults in individual games over the last few months, but at the Masters in Cincinnati in the summer he narrowly missed the eternal ATP negative record with 20 double faults (23).
Thiem, Tsitsipas, Medvedev storm
Zverev revived again, in the autumn, after his performance at the Laver Cup show. But despite a slightly improved match record in the final spurt, the question now remains with which staff the 22-year-old wants to master the increasingly difficult challenges of the coming season. When Lendl left the Zverev team in July, it was only natural to return to the status quo for support from Father Alexander. And now, is the hour for the often-and-beloved cooperation of Zverev and Boris Becker beating? In fact, there would be hardly a better moment for the tennis chancellor to support his most promising heir even more energetically. Because if not all deceives, by 2020 the hierarchy in world tennis is really on the test. And Zverev must be careful to keep up with colleagues like Thiem, Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev and Matteo Berrettini, who are also attacking the old gentlemen. At the beginning of 2020, people wanted to talk, Zverev said in London, when he was asked about a potential liaison with Becker. It is conceivable that until then Becker also wants to clarify which tasks and positions he can even take on.
Zverev's season is officially over, without being over. On Sunday evening he flew with Roger Federer, who also retired in the World Cup semi-final, South America. Four duels of the duo in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador are still pending before Zverev can go into a short holiday break. It will be even shorter than planned, because Zverev has to undergo an eye surgery in New York - for some time makes him a more severe form of astigmatism, it hinders him especially when wearing contact lenses. At least medically, Zverev could then see the world clearer again.