Former Davis Cup team manager Patrik Kühnen would like to see Alexander Zverev adapt his style of play
“Alexander Zverev has a big game from the baseline, but where else can he improve? To stay in the top ten, maybe climb even higher and also play for Grand Slam titles, I would personally like to see him play even more offensively.”
On the sidelines of the ATP Finals in Turin, Kühnen (57) told the German Press Agency: “He’s a great player, has a strong serve and that’s why I’d like to see him move a bit more to the net. I think that would be good for his game.” Former tennis pro Kühnen is covering the tournament for TV channel Sky.
In his preliminary round group, Zverev faces Carlos Alcaraz from Spain in his first match today (2.30 pm). “For Alexander Zverev to come back in the first year after his injury and immediately make it to the ATP Finals is a very strong performance. I don’t count him as one of the absolute top favorites this year, but of course he has a chance – after all, he’s already won the finals twice. The first match against Carlos Alcaraz could be groundbreaking for him, he could gain momentum with an opening win,” continued Kühnen.
Following a serious foot injury, Zverev had struggled to get going this season. The Hamburg-born player only found his old form towards the middle of the season and made it to the semi-finals at the French Open. Zverev is only an outsider for the final of the year’s top eight players
Memories of epic match in Paris
However, the record between Zverev and Alcaraz is even. The two have met six times so far, with the German winning three times and the Spaniard three times. However, the last two duels this year have both gone to Alcaraz. In the quarter-finals of the US Open, the Spaniard beat a tired and weakened Zverev in three sets, while Alcaraz clearly won in two sets in the last 16 of the Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
Zverev’s last win against Alcaraz dates back to 2022, when the Olympic champion defeated the Spanish clay court specialist in four sets in the quarter-finals of the French Open. In the semi-final that followed, Zverev then suffered a serious injury against Rafael Nadal and had to take the rest of the season off.
