After a complicated year: Zverev as the underdog in Turin
Alexander Zverev was able to save himself the stressful detour via Sofia in the end. Worried about missing out on qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin, the Olympic tennis champion had quickly registered for the small tournament in the Bulgarian capital after his round of 16 exit at the Masters 1000 event in Paris-Bercy.
However, because his rivals for the Turin ticket then fell through, Zverev canceled his participation and instead spent a few days recharging his batteries in his adopted home of Monte-Carlo.
Strength that Zverev can use after an exhausting comeback year with many ups and downs at his last appearance this season. The 26-year-old has looked tired of late, struggling more through his matches. "He didn't seem so fresh at the end in Asia," said German tennis icon Boris Becker on Eurosport.
"Always an honor to be there"
However, Zverev wants to give it his all once again at the end of the year for the best eight players of the year. After all, the ATP Finals are one of his favorite tournaments. "The eight best players of the year are here, it's always an honor to be here," said Zverev. "And nothing to be taken for granted."
Zverev has already won the tournament twice. In 2018 in the final against Novak Djokovic and in 2021 in the final against the Russian Daniil Medvedev, who he will face in the preliminary round this year. His other group opponents are Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz from Spain and Medvedev's compatriot Andrei Rublev, against whom Zverev has lost all of his last three matches.
This is another reason why Zverev is only the outsider this time after missing last year due to injury. The clear favorite is Djokovic, who is aiming for his seventh title and would therefore be the sole record winner of the ATP Finals. He is currently tied with Roger Federer, who has also won six times.
Pleasant underdog role
However, Zverev feels comfortable in his underdog role, as he was not the favorite even when he won both of his titles. "If I can reach the ATP finals in Turin after such an injury and finish the year in the top 8, then it's been a good season," said Zverev in an interview with Eurosport.
After his serious foot injury, Zverev had struggled to get going. "At the beginning of the year, I was still playing with pain and had to find a way to deal with it," said Zverev. The Hamburg-born player only found his old form towards the middle of the year and made it to the semi-finals at the French Open.
This was followed by highs and lows. Tournament victories in Hamburg and Chengdu, opening defeats in Shanghai and Tokyo. "Sure, I haven't won any Grand Slam competitions or the tournaments I've won in recent years," said Zverev, "but on the whole I can be satisfied. A successful performance in Turin would reinforce this satisfaction and give the German number one a good feeling for the new year.
Despite initially registering for a small tournament in Sofia to secure his spot at the ATP Finals in Turin, Alexander Zverev's competitors for the Turin ticket ultimately withdrew, allowing him to rest and recharge in Monte-Carlo. expressing his excitement, Zverev mentioned, "The eight best players of the year are here, it's always an honor to be here."
Source: www.dpa.com
