French Open: Grand Slam title a long way off: Zverev runs time of it

With reddened eyes and deeply frustrated, Alexander Zverev took the press after his disillusioning quarter-final at the French Open. “I’m going to play golf. I don’t feel like a tennis just like that,” said the world ranking third after the next burst Grand Slam dream in a disappointing Paris night when asked how it will go on for him now.

In a short point of view, he had answered the question with it. Zverev will take a few days to shake off his unless Novak Djokovic appearance at the end. In the medium and long term, however, some questions remain unanswered. Above all: How does Zverev still want to get Grand Slam title? Is he willing to make changes? Or should it go on in the old trott with a father as a coach, brother as a manager and good buddy as a consultant?

“Manöver criticism is necessary, the family has to come together and speak openly: Why is it not going so well at the moment,” said Tennis icon Boris Becker as an expert at Eurosport. Becker had seen Zverev as a favorite like most experts before the game, but then the 28-year-old received a lesson from the Serbs, who was ten years older, a lesson.

Djokovic had prepared for the duel, had a clear plan, as he wanted to defeat Zverev. 35 Stops played Djokovic and tried to shorten the rallies that were too long. In addition, the long -standing number one played aggressively and varied, always went online and anticipated Zverev’s blows well.

Germany’s best tennis player didn’t make it particularly difficult for him either. Zverev played tennis as he always plays tennis. The only tactic that he had put on with his team seemed to consist of keeping the rallies long and hoping that Djokovic will be tired.

But he fell into the trap of the record grand slam champion. Djokovic had to blow through early in the game after changing the balls, sometimes groaned like an old man in punches. But even at the age of 38, Djokovic still manages to regenerate well and be fully there at the highlights of the season.

The Serb now loses more and more in early rounds. When it matters, Djokovic is there. The semi -finals at the Australian Open, where an injury against Zverev only stopped him, now semi -finals in Paris – Djokovic cannot be copyed.

“To beat one of the best players in the world on one of the biggest stages is something that I definitely still work for and even at this age I still push every day,” said Djokovic, celebrated by the fans. This Friday he will be dealing with the Italian world ranking first Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.

Top stars stronger than Zverev

Djokovic is likely to be challenged much more than Zverev. And that is one of the teachings from this French Open that Zverev should worry. Because Sinner and the Spanish Paris defender Carlos Alcaraz have hurried to him, players like Lorenzo Musetti or Jack Draper push forward. It is getting narrower for Zverev with a Grand Slam title. No other top ten player has such a low profit rate against other top ten players like Zverev (25 percent) at Grand Slams.

“The dream of the Grand Slam title has not been dreamed of, but with every punishment chance it becomes more difficult. The problem is that the younger ones get better,” said Becker.

Zverev pushes out of conditions

It was not a good sign that Zverev had been very self-critical for five years after missing the semi-final at his favorite Grand Slam for five years. “It was very cold, so the speed was not particularly high in my serve,” said Zverev. “From a certain point, I had the feeling that I no longer knew how to make a point from the baseline against him.”

There was hardly any input from his team in the stands. Zverev did not find a path with the unfavorable but predictable conditions for him. The 28 -year -old played his best tennis of the career at the French Open in Paris in 2022 when the serious foot injury in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal stopped him – the Spaniard Sergi Bruguera was part of his coaching team.