ATP HalleWestfalen: Alexander Zverev is committed to the long term
Olympic champion Alexander "Sascha" Zverev has confirmed the start of the ATP Tour 500 event. A three-year contract binds the German number one long-term to the traditional event in HalleWestfalen.
by PM
last edit: Sep 23, 2021, 08:01 am
Olympic champion Alexander "Sascha" Zverev (ATP 4) will also compete in the prestigious lawn championship in Hall's OWL ARENA for the next three years. The 24-year-old signed a corresponding contract and is thus committed to the ATP 500 lawn event beyond the 29th NOVENTI OPEN (June 11th to 19th, 2022). “I particularly look forward to returning to Halle every year. The tournament is well organized, the short walking distances and the local conditions are ideal, ”said Zverev. Tournament director Ralf Weber is also enthusiastic about the commitment: “Sascha wrote German tennis history in Tokyo and showed how much it means to him for his home country. It makes me proud that he has this long-term relationship with our tournament. "
At the Olympic Games in Tokyo on August 1st, Zverev celebrated the greatest success of his career and entered the tennis history books when he first defeated world number one Novak Djokovic after a set and break deficit in an impressive manner in the semifinals and his dream of the "Golden Slam “Finished. Then he didn't give Russia tennis star Karen Khachanov a chance in the gold medal match: “This medal doesn't just belong to me, it belongs to all of Germany. It was the best week of my life, ”said Zverev afterwards. This makes him the first German Olympic champion in men's tennis singles. Previously, only Steffi Graf won a gold medal in Seoul in 1988 and the Boris Becker / Michael Stich duo in Barcelona in 1992. Tommy Haas won silver in Sydney in 2000.
Zverev in Australia as a title contender
For many experts, after the Olympic success and despite the semi-final defeat at the US Open against Novak Djokovic, Zverev is finally ready for the first Grand Slam title: "If he just keeps going like this, then for me he will be the next member of the young guard, whose turn it is to win a Grand Slam tournament, ”said Boris Becker. And Alex Corretja, former world number two from Spain and ex-trainer of Andy Murray is sure "that he will win not just one, but several majors in his career." Zverev has the next chance at the end of January in Australia, "Down under" he will then again belong to the narrower circle of title contenders. Before that, Germany's number one competes next weekend at the fourth “Laver Cup” in Boston as part of the European selection with “Team World”. The qualification for the season finale of the best eight, which will be held in Turin for the first time this year, is also imminent for Zverev.
In Halle, Zverev reached the final twice at a young age, but failed due to compatriot Florian Mayer (2016) and “Maestro” Roger Federer (2017). Also in doubles with brother Mischa, Germany's number one played its way into the final in 2017 and 2018, but was left behind against the Brazilian pair skating specialist Marcelo Melo and his Polish partner Lukasz Kubot. This year, the Hamburg native had to admit defeat to the young surprise man Ugo Humbert from France in three sets in the round of 16, whose impressive tournament week finally ended with the title win.
Also Federer and Medvedev in Halle
Zverev is already confidently looking ahead to his seventh appearance in Lindenstadt in East Westphalia: “In Tokyo, I played for Germany and the German fans. Now I can't wait to play in front of German fans in Germany again next year - and hopefully finally win the title. ”Zverev's special bond with the Weber family and the Hall tournament organizers was evident this year when the US Open -Finalist of the previous year stayed in HalleWestfalen even after his departure and used the excellent conditions on site to prepare for the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon: "That shows how comfortable Sascha and his family feel with us," said tournament director Weber .
In addition to Zverev, the Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer (ATP 9), US Open champion Daniil Medvedev (ATP 2), Kei Nishikori (ATP 54), Japan's best tennis player of all time, and Zverev's Olympic opponent Karen Khachanov (ATP 27) start again in HalleWestfalen next year. "With the signing of Sascha, the current Olympic gold medalist is now playing with us as well as Daniil Medvedev, the reigning US Open winner and ATP world champion," said Weber. “Plus Karen Khachanov, Kei Nishikori - and of course our record champion Roger Federer. That is pure world class! "