Alexander Zverev at the turning point

Once Upon a time. Fairy tales usually begin with these three simple words, which of course express a tremendous amount, even though they are not concrete. There's just a certain sadness in it, a regret that now nothing is the way it used to be. At least that's what these three words imply. Once upon a time there was a tennis player with incredible talent. Alexander Zverev. Born in Hamburg. Son of Russian parents. His brother Mischa was born in Moscow. But that doesn't matter, even if it might seem that way given the current situation with the war against Ukraine initiated by Russia. None at all. Zverev is entirely a German tennis player.

And yes, once upon a time. He is an Olympic champion. In the semi-finals in Tokyo, he, who was seeded number four, defeated the Serbian Novak Djokovic, with the third set even ending 6-1 for Zverev. In the final he defeated the Russian Karen Khachanow. Gold for Zverev. Gold for Germany. That will remain the case, because the golden rule is that you are an Olympic champion forever. But high on the throne the air is thin and fast, too fast and you can lose track of what is initially a wonderful view. Quick money seduces the tennis stars, not just Zverev, but almost everyone who is among the twenty best in the world, to move to Monte Carlo. There, in the sunny small state with a view of the Mediterranean from admittedly not particularly beautiful high-rise buildings, you can be a sporting millionaire among his peers. You also meet the Formula 1 drivers there and of course your colleagues over and over again. Monaco as the best solution? Jannik Sinner also moved to the tax paradise with eternal sunshine soon after his first successes. Whether this is always ideal would be worth discussing, because moving there also means breaking away from your usual surroundings. The family is now just a visiting station. The reunion with home then became a local sensation. Look, he's back. Hurray, he hasn't forgotten us. But the stranger is a creeping poison, because it is only those in the immediate circle who obediently accept everything that happens, even for their own benefit. And at some point everyone will inevitably come across a situation that can perhaps only be solved in the most familiar surroundings.

Alexander Zverev is now in such a phase. His round of 18 defeat in Munich is no drama. However, the statement that he played the best tennis that is currently possible is true. He waved apologetically to the audience and covered his face with his hands in disbelief. He would have preferred to sink into the ground. His opponent was 70-year-old Holger Rune from Denmark, number XNUMX in the world rankings. Anyway. Zverev still had no chance. Nothing, nothing at all worked. “I played without a forehand,” he said. And he admitted he was very nervous about playing in front of German fans for the first time in a long time. There are reasons for the tension. In between there was the emotional break in Acapulco when he struggled with a referee's decision in a double game and then hit his racket three times against the referee's chair, even hitting him in the foot. His value then fell rapidly in the popularity scale of German athletes. But he is more present than ever in the tabloid media and colorful magazines since he started dating Sophia Thomalla. Now it's not just the red sand, but also the red carpet that he's on.

The year after the Olympic Games, this year, could or is already a decisive one for Zverev, whose goal has always been and still is to become number one in the tennis circus. He has all the necessary sporting facilities. After all, he didn't look for any excuses after the defeat in Munich. “It’s not the fault of my fitness trainers and it’s not the fault of my physiotherapists either,” he admitted openly and self-critically added that you weren’t the smartest person if you wanted to find an excuse now. Zverev has undoubtedly recognized that he is at a crucial turning point in his career. It was a defeat that will bring with it many lessons, but it also made him mercilessly aware of his weaknesses. Maybe it would be good for him to return to Hamburg for a few days to do a few relaxed sessions with his brother Mischa. In the familiar circle of the family before the endurance test with the French Open is on the agenda in four weeks. Only then will it become apparent where the path will lead him. All the way to the top, finally. Or into the depths of the eternal candidates, into the drawer of the great talents who then never reach final maturity? Paris could be the most important tournament of his life. Munich was a wake-up call.

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Alexander Zverev at the turning point

The round of 18 defeat in Munich against the XNUMX-year-old Dane Holger Rune opened Alexander Zverev's eyes. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich suspects that the next few weeks could be crucial for the Olympic tennis champion in the further course of his career.

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