Alexander Zverev sent a strong message to his opponents on the ATP Tour after winning his second title of the year in Chengdu towards the end of September.
The 26-year-old Zverev, who is ranked fifth in a stacked draw at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna this week, has the opportunity to support those remarks once more. This could be a pivotal week for the German as he keeps pushing to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Zverev, the two-time winner of the renowned season finale, is currently ranked seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin.
Zverev expressed his thoughts in an interview and said: “I’m playing good tennis and I’m winning tournaments again, which is the most important thing. I’m a contender. That’s something I missed at the beginning of the year when I didn’t feel like I was. I’m back to the same mentality of winning tournaments and the same mentality of trying to be one of the best.”
He added: “If I make Turin, if I come back after such an injury and not playing for seven months when I was really uncertain if I was ever going to come back to the level that I was If I come back and I’m one of the best eight players in the world, it’s a great achievement; there’s no question about it. It’s a comeback year to remember, that’s for sure.”
Following a serious ankle injury he suffered during his Roland Garros semi-final match against Rafael Nadal in 2022, Zverev missed the second half of that year and spent the first few months of this season adjusting himself to competitive tennis. This season, he only emerged victorious from his first nine tour-level matches, but over time, he regained his form and his self-assurance.
Alexander Zverev in 2023
LWWLWLWLWW Currently ranked no.10, the German played his last match on the 16th of October when he was overcome by world no.58 Jordan Thompson 6-3 6-4 in the 1st round in Tokyo (draw).
This year Zverev has managed to achieve a 49-24 match record. Zverev has won 2 titles in 2023 in Hamburg and Chengdu.
He is also scheduled to play in Paris (Rolex Paris Masters). The main draw will start on the 30th of October.
Alexander Zverev |
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