Despite being among the best players in the world, it has been a difficult season for Alexander Zverev. His consistent displays put aside, the German star has failed to deliver on big occasions. Earlier this season, he reached the Australian Open final but lost tamely against Jannik Sinner in the summit clash. It was a big chance for Zverev to win his maiden Grand Slam title, but he fell short against a superior Sinner. Owing to his poor run in big matches, Zverev also suffered from mental health challenges. Nonetheless, it has been a rejuvenating time for him of late, and he had a request for Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni.
After his Wimbledon fiasco, where Zverev lost in the first round, he got back to the drawing board. The German star traveled to Mallorca to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where he came in contact with Toni Nadal. Zverev trained under the watchful eyes of Nadal’s uncle and reflected on his poor run across the tournaments recently. It was an eye-opener for Zverev, and he had a wish for Toni.
Ahead of the National Bank Open in Toronto, Zverev opened up about his time training under Toni. He said, “It was phenomenal, I worked very hard with Tony for several days. I think he enjoyed it too. I’m still trying to convince him to spend a few weeks on the Tour with me, but he’s very busy – reminds me of the obligations of the former coach of the clay king at the Academy but also at the Open Mallorca tournament, where he’s also the director.”
Tennis – Laver Cup – Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany – September 21, 2024 Team Europe’s Alexander Zverev reacts during his singles match against Team World’s Taylor Fritz REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
Further, he went on to add, “Apart from that, he already has a lot of meetings that he’s committed to before. So I’m not sure how much I’ll see him for the rest of this year. We are agreeing on what our cooperation could look like, I will probably know more in the coming weeks.”
However, his poor form isn’t the only thing troubling Zverev. The 28-year-old also opened up about his mental health-related challenges that have been affecting him this year.
Alexander Zverev makes saddening revelation post Wimbledon loss
Talking about this season, Zverev has managed to win just a solitary title, the BMW Open. Although he has reached the business end of the tournaments, the German star has failed to deliver when it mattered the most. This has also affected Zverev’s mental health and he finally opened up about this after suffering a shock first-round Wimbledon exit.
He said, “I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. … I’m trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way.” Subsequently, many players sympathized with Zverev, including Amanda Anisimova, who reached the Wimbledon final this year.
However, Zverev has always been known for his comeback abilities, like he did after suffering a nasty foot injury at the French Open three years back. Although the situation is different this time around, the German star’s comeback cannot be ruled out. In the absence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, he is the top seed at the National Bank Open and will open his campaign against Adam Walton.
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