0:11! What sounds like a clear sentence in table tennis is Alexander Zverev’s record against top 10 players in Grand Slam tournaments. An absolutely underground rate when you consider how long the German has been among the best in the world. Zverev himself has been one of the top ten players in the tableau for more than five years.
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At a high level, the 1.98 meter man has already won five master titles and the gold medal at the Olympics. However, the big hit has never been achieved via the best-of-five mode in the four major majors. A flaw that the blond boy has to nibble on.
Even at the current French Open, Zverev did not show the really big tennis, muddled more into the quarter-finals. A highly talented athlete is waiting there in Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday. A player that many experts predict will have a great future with many Grand Slam titles. Just like with Zverev a few years ago.
The 25-year-old goes into the duel as an outsider. Quite a few expect Alcaraz to win quickly. Because he not only inspired the tennis world throughout spring, but also these days in Paris. Fast, dynamic, powerful, spectacular – the adjectives to describe the game of the only 19-year-old are diverse and seem to be increasing.
“He’s the best tennis player in the world at the moment,” said Zverev about Alcaraz before the tournament started. The Spaniard is now unbeaten in 14 games. Zverev needs to know.
After all, the German got under the wheels at the Masters tournament in Madrid a good three weeks ago in the final against Alcaraz. The game was already over after 64 minutes, Alcaraz won in straight sets 6:3, 6:1. Zverev clearly won the previous two games from last year.
However, Alcaraz made such a big leap forward in the current year that these games are not very important with regard to the match in Paris. Meanwhile, Alcaraz greets from sixth place in the world rankings. But the rank is likely to be just a brief stopover on his way forward. Zverev is still three places ahead of Alcaraz.
Almost every tennis enthusiast hopes that Alcaraz can shape a similar era to Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. The latter are also playing this Tuesday, so to speak as proof that they can still do it.
Apparently Alcaraz already has a rock in the board with those responsible for the French Open. So far, the right-hander has been allowed to play three times on the facility’s largest court, the Court Philippe Chatrier. Zverev, on the other hand, only once.
“He’s the new superstar, he’s the new face of tennis and it’s nice to see something new,” Zverev ennobles the 19-year-old. Nevertheless, he sees the division that Alcaraz already plays on the largest court so often , critical.”It is very obvious in which direction it should go and who the tournament wants to continue with,” says Zverev. He has the feeling “that the other players are being left out a bit.”
It’s up to Zverev himself which player will be talked about more the day after the quarter-finals. About the young Spaniard storming into the semifinals. Or about the German who beats the super talent. And improved his record against top 10 players in Grand Slams to 1:11.
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