Sinner, Alcaraz encourage Zverev to seek out new areas of enchancment, irrespective of how small | ATP Tour

Match Response

New World No. 2 Zverev says he hasn’t damaged Sinner-Alcaraz duopoly but

German set to compete in twelfth Masters 1000 last

November 02, 2024

The grind by no means stops for Alexander Zverev.

After securing a complete semi-final victory over former champion Holger Rune on the Rolex Paris Masters Saturday, Zverev headed to the observe courtroom, searching for incremental enchancment that he hopes will permit him to problem the duopoly on the prime of the lads’s sport.

“For me, it is about enhancing a number of issues. I really feel like Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] are doing a number of issues higher than me for the time being. I wish to enhance,” mentioned Zverev.

“I wish to enhance not for tomorrow, not for at the moment, or due to the matches I performed right here. I wish to usually enhance for subsequent yr as properly.”

Along with his win over Rune, Zverev notched his sixty fifth win of the yr and tied Sinner for probably the most wins on Tour this season, in keeping with the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He additionally overtook Alcaraz and climbed to the No. 2 spot within the PIF ATP Stay Rankings. The German believes they’re nonetheless at a better stage and that he must work laborious to catch up.

“It is good to be again on the highest place that I’ve been to date. In fact, I wish to get greater. However for me, Jannik has [had] the very best yr this season, and Carlos had the second-best yr. He received two Grand Slams,” he shared.

“I do know that I am forward of him within the rankings, however he received Wimbledon and Roland Garros. These are two large titles. So, they’re nonetheless the 2 greatest gamers on this planet, for my part, for the time being.”

The 27-year-old, who is ready to compete on the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 10-17 November in Turin, is strategising to maintain up along with his two largest rivals, and is specializing in growing his depth to match the extent of aggression that they convey to their respective video games.

“I feel after they get a straightforward ball, after they’re in an attacking place, 90 per cent of the time the purpose is over, whether or not it is a winner or an unforced error. That is how laborious they hit the ball, that is how aggressive they’re. I feel in that side I can enhance. That is what I am attempting to do,” he mentioned.

“Jannik has improved lots this yr. There are some issues Carlos has improved. I feel Novak, over the previous 15, [or] 20 years, has improved each single yr. Should you ask him whether or not he is a greater tennis participant final yr, for instance 2023 or 2022 even, or 10 years in the past when he was youthful, I feel he would say that he is a greater tennis participant now.”

After struggling a severe ankle harm on the 2022 Roland Garros and persevering with to get well from it in 2023, the 27-year-old is happy to return to his greatest stage. Recent off his maiden Grand Slam last on the 2020 US Open, Zverev had received six tour-level titles in 2021, together with the Nitto ATP Finals, and was halfway by among the finest Roland Garros semi-finals of the Open Period with Nadal with tragedy struck.

“There was a interval the place it was shifting in direction of the route of a little bit little bit of a change, after which 2022 I felt like I used to be going [in] an excellent route at Roland Garros. I used to be going [to] hopefully to attain my dream of successful Roland Garros. I used to be No. 2 on this planet. I used to be very near turning into World No. 1, as properly. It was entering into that route, after which there was a two-year cease to that course of. [For] two years I used to be not aggressive for Grand Slams, not aggressive for World No. 1 and people issues,” he mentioned.

“So I am glad to be again the place I’m. “There was by no means a assure that I’d be again at this stage. For positive for me, it is a terrific satisfaction to be again, however once more, I wish to enhance and I wish to go even greater.”

The German, chasing his seventh Masters 1000 title, will play Frenchman Ugo Humbert in his twelfth Masters last in Paris on Sunday.