match reaction
Zverev, ranked second in the Shinsegae, said he has not yet broken the Sinner-Alcaraz duopoly.
Germany to participate in 12th Masters 1000 finals
November 2, 2024
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
The German is seeking his seventh Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Paris Masters.
Written by ATP Staff
Alexander Zverev’s grind never stops.
Fresh off a comprehensive semi-final victory over former champion Holger Rune at the Rolex Paris Masters last Saturday, Zverev headed to the practice court, looking to make incremental progress that could put him in contention for second place in the men’s division.
“For me it is important to improve a few things. I feel like Jannik [Sinner] and carlos [Alcaraz] He’s doing some things better than me now. I want to improve,” Zverev said.
“I don’t want to improve tomorrow, not today, not for the games I played here. “I want to improve overall next year as well.”
With his win over Rune, Zverev recorded his 65th win of the year and is tied with Sinner for the most wins on tour this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index. He also surpassed Alcaraz to reach second place in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Germans believe that they are still at a higher level and must work hard to catch up.
“I’m happy to be back in the highest position I’ve ever been in. Of course, I want to go higher. But for me Jannik is [had] We had our best year this season and Carlos had his second best year. “He won two Grand Slams,” he said.
“I know I’m ahead of him in the rankings, but he won Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Those are two huge titles. So, in my opinion, they are the best players in the world right now.”
The 27-year-old, who is scheduled to take part in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin from November 10 to 17, is working on a strategy to keep up with two of his biggest rivals and is focused on increasing his intensity accordingly. The level of aggression they bring to their respective games.
“I think when they get an easy ball, when they’re in an attacking position, whether it’s a winner or an unforced error, 90% of the time it’s a point over. That’s how hard they hit the ball, that’s how aggressive they are. I think we can improve in that respect. “That’s what I’m trying to do,” he said.
“Jannik has improved a lot this year. There are a few things Carlos has improved: I think Novak over the last 15 years [or] It’s been 20 years and we’ve improved every year. “If you asked me if I was a better tennis player last year, or 2023 or 2022, or 10 years ago when I was younger, I would say I am a better tennis player now.”
After suffering a serious ankle injury at Roland Garros 2022 and continuing his recovery in 2023, the 27-year-old is delighted to be back at the top level. Coming off his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, Zverev has won six tour-level titles in 2021, including the Nitto ATP Finals, and advanced to one of the best Roland Garros semifinals of the Open Era alongside Nadal. Tragedy struck.
“There was a time when we were moving in the direction of change little by little, and then I felt like we were going to go in 2022. [in] Very good direction at Roland Garros. i was going [to] I hope your dream of winning Roland Garros comes true. I was ranked second in the world. I was also on the verge of becoming number one in the world. We were heading in that direction, but the process was halted for two years. [For] “For two years I wasn’t competitive for a Grand Slam or a world number one or anything like that,” he said.
“So I’m happy to be back where I am. “There was absolutely no guarantee that I would return to this level. Of course, it is a great satisfaction to be back, but I want to improve once again and rise to greater heights.”
The German, seeking a seventh Masters 1000 title, will face Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the 12th Masters final in Paris on Sunday.
