Zverev...crossroads?

[Jelenafan]

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:

“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.

 

[El Dude]

His career thus far is somewhat reminiscent of Goran Ivanisevic, at least on paper. Like Goran, he was a top 5-10 player for half a decade or so, one of the better players in the sport but never quite among the very best. Goran won four big titles in 1992-95, finished in the top ten 6 out of 7 years from 1990-96, three of those in the top 5 (92, 94, 96). He also reached three Wimbledon finals, in 92, 94, and 98, losing in the first final to Agassi, the next two to Sampras.

Goran slipped out of the top 10 in 1997 and never returned. He won a career best 5 titles in '96 (though no big titles), 3 in '97, and 1 in '98, then none in '99-00. But overall, he was one of the ten best players of the 90s - not top 5, but still among the 10 best.

Zverev has been even better. He won 8 big titles in 2017-21, including 4 in '21, his best season. He finished in the top 10 all five years, with three top 5 finishes. After being slow to go deep in Slams (his first QF was in 2018, he reached 5 of 9 SFs in 2020-22. But then he got hurt and hasn't been the same since.

Zverev just turned 26. Ivanisevic turned 26 in late 1997, when he was already in decline. Now players declined earlier back then, but it is still worth considering. I believe Goran's decline was exacerbated by a shoulder injury he suffered in 1999, but he was already slipping. And of course we know that Goran became one of the more Cinderella Slam winners in 2001, when he won Wimbledon as a wildcard, with a very solid gauntlet of Moya, Roddick, Rusedski, Safin, Henman, and Rafter.

I mention all of this not to suggest that Zverev will recapitulate Goran's later career, but to point out that there are some similarities, and Sascha might be the type of player to win a Slam in the second half of his career, when no one is expecting it.

 

[Moxie]

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.

I think you're right it's a critical juncture for him. He's been an unrepentant whiner for ages. I mean, really? "It's so hard for me to play in Germany?!" His list of excuses is getting long...by now pretty much exceeding his accomplishments. I posted about him on the ATP General News thread shortly ago. I think his ego gets in his way. I'd love to seem him play like he's not "owed" the win. Rubber is hitting the road for him, IMO. As you say, a "crossroads." He needs to get his head right, or he's going to be a very accomplished also-ran.

 

[don_fabio]

I have never seen a player like Zverev who can choke so much that one wonders what is in that head of his and if he has a brain at all.

When he gets into a situation where he needs to bring the match to an end or win a set or confirm a break, situations when he is generally under pressure, you can immediately see by his body language that he will spill everything. And that's how it usually happens, he forgets to play tennis at the moment, double faults start, his hand doesn't listen to him anymore and the balls go 5 meters out or into the bottom of the net. It's honestly sickening to watch. I don't even need to mention how difficult it was to watch his match with Thiem in the USO final, but I also have to mention the important match last year with Nadal in the RG semi-final (the injury is irrelevant, because he wouldn't have won the match anyway with all the lost opportunities). The same story as always, Nadal offered himself in both sets, Zverev could lead him 2:0 comfortably, but again every time he had to play a good point/game under pressure, he totally falls apart. It seems as if he will never solve that problem and he doesn't have it in him to deliver when it matters.

And he can look for excuses wherever he wants, from public pressure to his own expectations, but as long as he denies that the problem is in him, he will never get a slam. You can't afford to miss a bunch of chances in a GS final, sometimes one little thing is enough to change the course of the match, but there is Zverev who can spill in two minutes everything he did on the court 2 hours before that.

He is definitely at a crossroads in his career and things are not looking bright right now. The injury was repaired, but the head was not. Now there are a few younger players who have overtaken him in terms of quality and none of them have mental issues like him.

 

[tented]

or he's going to be a very accomplished also-ran.

 

[tented]

I have never seen a player like Zverev who can choke so much that one wonders what is in that head of his and if he has a brain at all.

When he gets into a situation where he needs to bring the match to an end or win a set or confirm a break, situations when he is generally under pressure, you can immediately see by his body language that he will spill everything. And that's how it usually happens, he forgets to play tennis at the moment, double faults start, his hand doesn't listen to him anymore and the balls go 5 meters out or into the bottom of the net. It's honestly sickening to watch. I don't even need to mention how difficult it was to watch his match with Thiem in the USO final, but I also have to mention the important match last year with Nadal in the RG semi-final (the injury is irrelevant, because he wouldn't have won the match anyway with all the lost opportunities). The same story as always, Nadal offered himself in both sets, Zverev could lead him 2:0 comfortably, but again every time he had to play a good point/game under pressure, he totally falls apart. It seems as if he will never solve that problem and he doesn't have it in him to deliver when it matters.

And he can look for excuses wherever he wants, from public pressure to his own expectations, but as long as he denies that the problem is in him, he will never get a slam. You can't afford to miss a bunch of chances in a GS final, sometimes one little thing is enough to change the course of the match, but there is Zverev who can spill in two minutes everything he did on the court 2 hours before that.

He is definitely at a crossroads in his career and things are not looking bright right now. The injury was repaired, but the head was not. Now there are a few younger players who have overtaken him in terms of quality and none of them have mental issues like him.

Great post. The best summary of Zverev I’ve ever read.