2024 has been a ‘so near and yet so far’ year for Alexander Zverev on the playing surface. It was probably a relief to jump out of the individual mindset to the team pandemonium of the Laver Cup where he holds an excellent record. Zverev’s win over Frances Tiafoe in the penultimate match in Berlin meant that hesurpassed Roger Federer for the most wins ever in the competition. The German also showed cojones to come back in extremis when the trophy was on the line. Carlos Alcaraz finished the job in the decider against Taylor Fritz to give Team Europe a 13-11 win.
Zverev had his back against the wall on Sunday when a set and 2-4 down to Tiafoe in a tie that Team Europe simply couldn’t afford to lose. Zverev already had to deal with a latest loss to Fritz earlier in the event (his third in a row to the American who came out on top at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows too). This was the pressure dome but with the wider cushion of a team environment where responsibility transcends personal frustrations. It’s a set-up in which the world No. 2 clicks.
There had also been some well-publicized comments from the co-founder of the Laver Cup, Federer, who questioned the 27-year-old’s ability to take enough risks to win the big prizes against the elite. “Against the best players in the world you have to take the initiative and play offensively. He didn’t do that against Fritz. To win a Grand Slam you have to trust your shots and play more offensively. He has to believe in this path. Every cell in your body has to feel that this is the only right way. The title doesn’t just come to you, especially not the first one,” said the Swiss legend.
Against Tiafoe, Zverev chose to roll the dice when the game was almost up and broke the American to love at 3-4 down. Suddenly, there were aggressive returns with a dominant position of standing closer to the baseline. Some might question where this version of the German giant is when the gold standard single prizes are waiting there for him. Federer himself referenced that there isn’t much missing. Sunday’s win in his home country might be baby steps to a better future for a Next Gen veteran. It was certainly a damn sight more mature than Zverev’s hissy fit in the Hamburg Open final when Arthur Fils took the title.
In 2020, the two-time ATP Finals winner became the first player in Open era history to squander a two-sets-to-love lead in a US Open final when defeated by Dominic Thiem. There is little doubt that the match played on his mind on an endless loop for some time afterwards. The New York Times encapsulated the uncomfortable truth that has affected the perennial bridesmaid: “For two sets, Zverev rode the power of his first serve and limited his errors in a crisp, efficient performance that belied his reputation as a player prone to inconsistency in the biggest moments despite his immense athletic gifts.”
The frustration for the holder of 22 ATP trophies is that he is capable of beating the best. He was superb when eliminating Novak Djokovic on the way to winning an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. His demolition job of the Serb in the 2018 ATP Final was equally impressive, especially as Djokovic had won 35 out of the last 37 at the time.
Whether this week is just a flashy cameo of what might have been remains to be seen. Ultimately, Zverev lost his fear when the match and trophy were almost gone. He could still make a move on a major if he finds that release button again.
