ATP Masters Madrid: Zverev looking for leadership - Bruguera his role in the team
Alexander Zverev is looking for his form. The long-term cooperation with a former clay court specialist should help him.
by SID
last edit:
May 03, 2022, 03:46 pm
The beacon of hope who is supposed to lead Alexander Zverev out of the form crisis was hard to spot at first glance, it was so crowded on the training ground in Munich. Zverev's girlfriend Sophia sunbathed on the bench, Mama Irina tried to keep the family dog Junior under control - and the rest of the entourage sought proximity to the boss. Sergi Bruguera should fill the central role in the Olympic champion's team.
"I need a coach, I need leadership," said Zverev in Madrid before the next attempt to turn his botched season for the better. With Bruguera, the former sand digger from Spain, with whom Zverev has been traveling the world for a few weeks now, it should preferably continue "for a very long time". He considers Bruguera "one of the best", one with the necessary attention to "what's going on on the pitch".
Zverev has to rely on external help
For "six, seven months", according to Zverev, he has now been on the road alone, without a permanent trainer. His father Alexander senior, who had led him to the top of the world, has not been in tournaments for a long time, sometimes it was said for health reasons, in Madrid Zverev said somewhat cryptically that the head of the family had to "take care of other things". So he relies on external help, not for the first time - but hopefully successfully this time.
Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer, two other Spanish ex-professionals were already at the side of the third in the world rankings. Both resigned, the reasons remained unclear, but at least Ferrero made it clear that he did not always agree with the work attitude of the hamburger. Now the next try with Bruguera, who knows how to win Grand Slam titles.
Family man Zverev
In 1993 and 1994 he triumphed in Roland Garros, as a coach he led his country to Davis Cup victory in 2019. In the team of the German number one, he has to get involved in the family dynamics, because Zverev has always been strongest in the circle of his loved ones, surrounded by brother Mischa and the omnipresent parents. In Munich, one of Bruguera's tasks was to play a few balls to mother Irina's backhand, which she used to fear so much.
In Madrid, the attention should be on the family star again, on Sascha Zverev (25). The idea of Munich, which he himself described as "bottomless", the frightening start-off, the next disappointment of a season without a title so far must be worked through. The defending champion still has time to work intensively with Bruguera before his first match. After a bye, Zverev meets either Marin Cilic (Croatia).
In doubles, Zverev was already eliminated on Tuesday: he lost with Marcelo Melo against Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul 6: 3, 3: 6 and 7:10.
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