Family first: The tennis company Zverev is returning to its roots
Alexander Zverev has so far been in the best mood at the Australian Open. A change in his team is also responsible for this - the German relies on a family business in the box.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Feb 12, 2021, 07:20 pm
When Alexander Zverev completed his little relay run for the press, radio and television in Melbourne on Friday afternoon, an attentive observer was always at his side. Brother Mischa Zverev looked and listened carefully as the German tennis frontman analyzed the sovereign, self-confident 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 1 third round victory against the French Adrian Mannarino at the Australian Open , his best match at the Grand Slam so far Down under. Sascha and Mischa have always been one heart and one soul, a pair of brothers who walked long stretches of the long march through the tennis institutions together, as learners from each other, as cheers and comforters, as whip and caretakers, as advisors in good and bad life situations .
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But since the beginning of the year, the two Zverevs have also been business partners: Sascha (23), number 7 in the world rankings and co-favorite at the Australian Open, is an official client of Mischa, who is ten years older. However, the term manager does not adequately describe the job of the experienced Mischa, because the busy father takes care of almost everything that accumulates around his brother in terms of topics, duties and tasks. "My day should have more than 24 hours," says Mischa, who is also involved when it comes to the sensitive issue of public relations at Zverev junior. During interviews, Mischa is usually only a few meters away from brother Sascha, both of whom are more concerned than ever with striking the right note.
Family First at Zverev
The younger Zverev, who missed his first Grand Slam title at the US Open by just two points last year, is also returning to his tennis roots these days. And that means: Family first, trust in and in the people with whom his work of advancement is most closely linked. Brother Mischa, the business administrator, is the one familiar face in the new and old structured company Zverev. Father Alexander is the other well-known, emotionally important head - the man about whom Sascha Zverev said he will "always be the most important tennis companion and my trainer." Especially in the challenging era of the corona pandemic, it is essential for him to "To have people around me whom I trust wholeheartedly," says the German number 1 player.
Two of his three Australian Open companions are now brother Mischa and father Alexander. And even if world-class man Sascha has long been an established force in the industry, self-sufficient and self-determined in his appearance on the big tennis stages, you can still see again and again how important family members are in the entourage. After winning big points, the German stretches his fist in the direction of the grandstand, where his brother and father are nervously watching the action.
Zverev with tip against critics
On Friday, however, the performance of Zverev was rather nerve-friendly for everyone involved - in his strongest Australian Open guest appearance to date, he didn't give the uncomfortable Mannarino a chance with 19 aces and 37 winning strokes. Later on, Zverev, who will now face Serbian Dusan Lajovic in the round of 16, also gave the record a little sparkling that the expert predictions for the tournament had "spurred" him: "That nobody sees me here as a candidate for the title, that I am not even mentioned, I take that personally ", says the 23-year-old," I'm ready to cause further unrest here. "
With the family by his side. And no longer with any super coaches or external advisors and whisperers. Over the years Zverev had tried a lot to promote and accelerate his career, following the big industry trend, he had signed big names such as Ivan Lendl, Juan Carlos Ferrero and most recently David Ferrer. But the last loyalty to father Alexander, who had coached the offspring since early childhood, sooner or later always caused problems. Lendl and Zverev senior in particular got in each other's way until the former world number one and Grand Slam champion threw in the towel.
Brother Mischa as "assistant coach"
Brother Mischa is on the field at every training session, he is also a kind of assistant coach and opponent scout. But his greatest task will lie elsewhere in the near and medium future - in cultivating his brother's image, in his public appearances, in communicating with fans and business partners. The older brother wants to orient the younger brother more towards Germany again, towards the home market - without losing sight of the global perspective. With more acceptance in this country, "Sascha will also feel more comfortable overall," says Mischa, the family manager.
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