Alexander Zverev, currently ranked World No. 4, recently made a significant revelation regarding the conditions of hard courts during Roger Federer’s tenure on the ATP Tour. Speaking in an interview with Tennis Channel during the 2024 Cincinnati Masters, Zverev suggested that some tournaments deliberately made the courts “very, very fast” to favor Federer, enhancing his chances of progressing deep into the tournament.
Federer, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, achieved substantial success on all surfaces. However, he was particularly dominant on faster courts, where his attacking style of play thrived. The Swiss maestro holds a record 19 titles on grass courts, including eight Wimbledon championships, and excelled at hard-court tournaments like the Cincinnati Open and the ATP Finals, where the speed of the courts suited his game. Federer won a record seven titles in Cincinnati and six at the ATP Finals.
Zverev, who has competed against Federer, reflected on his own experiences with fast courts and their impact on gameplay. “I’m still from the generation from ten years ago, or from five, six years ago, when we had some very fast hard courts, especially when Roger was still around. And obviously, tournaments liked him to go deep, so they were making some very, very fast courts,” Zverev explained.
The German star, who plays with a heavier racket than many of his younger contemporaries, noted that this equipment choice can be advantageous on faster surfaces. “When the ball comes with pace, I think a heavier racket helps you, so that’s maybe part of the reason,” Zverev added, discussing his comfort on quicker courts.
As the No. 4 seed at the 2024 US Open, Zverev finds himself in the same half of the draw as defending champion Novak Djokovic, who holds 24 Grand Slam titles. The two could potentially meet in the semifinals, with the possibility of facing either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Zverev’s comments shed light on the intricate dynamics of court conditions in professional tennis and the influence they can have on player performance, particularly in the case of legends like Roger Federer.
Alexander Zverev in 2024
LWWWLWWLWW Now the world no.4, the German played his last match on the 18th of August when he capitulated to world no.1 Jannik Sinner 7-6(9) 5-7 7-6(4) in the semifinal in Cincinnati (draw).
Presently, during this year Alexander has achieved a 52-16 record. The German has won 2 titles in 2024 in Australia and Rome. The German got to the final at the French Open and Hamburg.
Alexander Zverev will face the world no.19 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round Robin on Sunday at 2:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their head to head is 6-2 for Zverev.
Zverev has won 2 titles in 2024 in Australia and Rome. Alexander was the runner-up at the French Open and in Hamburg (Hamburg Open).
Zverev won 23 titles in his career: 8 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts and 7 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Shanghai (Shanghai Rolex Masters) on the 30th of September and Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) on the 28th of October.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2024
LLWWWWWWWW Now the world no.3, the Spaniard played his last match on the 16th of August when he was overcome by world no.45 Gael Monfils 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in the 2nd round in Cincinnati (draw).
This year Alcaraz has an overall 38-8 win-loss record. The Spaniard clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open and Wimbledon. Alcaraz got to the final in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz will play the world no.354 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . They have never competed against each other as of now in top events.
The Spaniard conquered 3 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open and Wimbledon. The Spaniard was the runner-up in Paris (Olympics).
The Spaniard won 16 titles in his career: 4 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz played each other 12 times. Their head to head is 7-5 for Zverev. The last time they fought against each other, Carlos Alcaraz won 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 in the final in Paris (French Open) on the 9th of June 2024.
You can watch the highlights in the following video.
Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz |
| Embed from Getty Images |
