I was going to do a poll regarding Zverev's future but that's sort of redundant consider how murky it already was before his injury last year. While I'm not a huge fan of the German it's fascinating what a crossroads he's at. At Munich upon turning 26 he lost at home to the 80 something ranked Australian O'Connell on clay and this was his bizarre response:
Mind you, this is a 250 tournament for someone whose won 5 Masters, 2 YE Champs, and an Olympic Gold and his opponent is unheralded 80th ranked player not exaclty known for being a dangerous clay court condition. Granted the conditions were cold, but it's still a bizarre answer that there is this overwhelming pressure.
However it beats last year's answer when he was beaten by little 18 year old Holger. His reason then:
Of course in the rabbit hole that is Zeverev's mind saying it was his worst performance in years wasn't taking away credit from Holger , oh no. Rolling eyes....
Though of course he's played that shtick stock answer many times in the past...
For the crossroad, the Crown Prince is currently ranked #16 in the world and has a boatload of points (1,680) to defend: Finalists points in Madrid, SF points in Rome, SF points in Roland Garros. At worst he drops out of the top 32, at best per his current from he drops somewhere in the 20's after the French Open.
At age 26 I do believe he's past his peak, and if he hasn't gotten over his match pressure jitters by now, it's the law of diminishing returns on his career. Not wishing him ill but I do think it's a critical juncture for the man.
“In the last few years I’ve had a hard time dealing with the pressure of playing in Germany,” he said. “I put the pressure on myself and I know how the last few years have gone here. I haven’t played well here since 2018.”
The 26-year-old added: “I play wonderfully in training, I haven’t lost more than two games and not a single set. But in the match it’s something completely different.”
Mind you, this is a 250 tournament for someone whose won 5 Masters, 2 YE Champs, and an Olympic Gold and his opponent is unheralded 80th ranked player not exaclty known for being a dangerous clay court condition. Granted the conditions were cold, but it's still a bizarre answer that there is this overwhelming pressure.
However it beats last year's answer when he was beaten by little 18 year old Holger. His reason then:
“I was incredibly nervous today before the match. It was my first time in Germany in front of a crowd for years. I can hardly speak now either. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the spectators, I'm sorry for the tournament. It was my worst match in the last five, six, seven years."
“I played without a forehand today. A performance like today's isn't enough even in a tournament in the 250 category. There are no excuses. Anyone who finds excuses today is not the smartest person."
Of course in the rabbit hole that is Zeverev's mind saying it was his worst performance in years wasn't taking away credit from Holger , oh no. Rolling eyes....
Though of course he's played that shtick stock answer many times in the past...
For the crossroad, the Crown Prince is currently ranked #16 in the world and has a boatload of points (1,680) to defend: Finalists points in Madrid, SF points in Rome, SF points in Roland Garros. At worst he drops out of the top 32, at best per his current from he drops somewhere in the 20's after the French Open.
At age 26 I do believe he's past his peak, and if he hasn't gotten over his match pressure jitters by now, it's the law of diminishing returns on his career. Not wishing him ill but I do think it's a critical juncture for the man.