Sinner, Alcaraz urges Zverev to find new areas of improvement, no matter how small | ATP Tour

Match the Reaction

New World No. 2 Zverev says he hasn't broken the Sinner-Alcaraz duopoly yet

Germany is set to compete in the 12th Masters 1000 final

November 02, 2024

The grind never ends for Alexander Zverev.

After securing a comprehensive semi-final victory over former champion Holger Rune at the Rolex Paris Masters on Saturday, Zverev headed to the practice court, looking for further improvement which he hopes will allow him to challenge the duopoly at the top of the men's game.

“For me, it's about improving a few things. I feel like Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] they do a few things better than me at the moment. I want to improve,” said Zverev.

“I want to improve not for tomorrow, not for today, or because of the games I played here. I want to improve next year as well.”

With his win at Rune, Zverev earned his 65th win of the year and tied Sinner for the most wins on Tour this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He also passed Alcaraz to the No. 1 spot. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The German player believes that they are still at a high level and he must work hard to catch it.

“It's nice to return to the top position I've been in until now. Yes, I want to get high. But for me, Jannik is gone [had] 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. These are two major qualifications. So, they are still the two best players in the world, in my opinion, at the moment. “

The 27-year-old, who is set to compete in the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held November 10-17 in Turin, plans to keep up with his two biggest rivals, and is focused on increasing his momentum to match the team. the level of aggression they bring to their games.

“I think if they get an easy ball, if they're in the attacking zone, 90 percent of the time the point is over, whether it's a win or an unforced error. That's how they hit the ball, they are aggressive. I think in that aspect I can improve. That's what I'm trying to do,” he said.

“Jannik has improved a lot this year. There are other things that Carlos has developed. I think Novak, 15 years ago, [or] For 20 years, it has gotten better every year. If you ask him if he was a better tennis player last year, let's say 2023 or 2022 even, or 10 years ago when he was younger, I think he would say he is a better tennis player now.”

After suffering a serious ankle injury at the 2022 Roland Garros and continuing to recover from it in 2023, the 27-year-old is excited to be back at his best. Fresh off his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, Zverev had won six tour titles in 2021, including the Nitto ATP Finals, and was among Roland Garros' best semi-finals of the Open Era with Nadal and grief.

“There was a time when it looked like there was little change, and in 2022 I felt like I was leaving. [in] excellent guidance at Roland Garros. I was going [to] I hope to fulfill my dream of winning Roland Garros. I was number 2 in the world. I was very close to being World No. 1, too. It went that way, and then there was a two-year stop in that process. [For] for two years I didn't compete in the Grand Slams, I didn't compete with the World No. 1 and those things,” he said.

“So I'm happy to be back where I am. “There was no guarantee that I would return to this level. Certainly for me, it is a great satisfaction to come back, but also, I want to improve and I want to go even higher.”

The German, chasing his seventh Masters 1000 title, will play Frenchman Ugo Humbert in his 12th Masters final in Paris on Sunday.