Alexander Zverev

Rarely does one get an opportunity to achieve something that neither Roger Federer nor Novak Djokovic have managed over the course of their illustrious careers. However, German tennis star Alexander Zverev boasts of one such unique milestone, having recorded the same during the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. Zverev won a gold medal in the men's singles event, which has managed to elude those two superstars in an individual capacity. However, achieving noteworthy feats is no rarity for the German who emerged as the champion in the 2018 edition of the ATP Finals, which made him the youngest winner at the year-end championship in a decade. Zverev further presents a strong challenge to the 'Big Four' which includes Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray, being the only player barring those names to have recorded five ATP Masters 1000 titles.

The German has won 17 singles titles so far at the age of 24, which is an indication of his prowess. While many tennis players were finding their feet at this stage of their lives, Zverev has hit the ground running showcasing his talent. The same was evident in his performances during the 2020 edition of the US Open, with the German delivering a fine display. Djokovic was defaulted during his fourth-round encounter against Pablo Carreño Busta, after hitting a ball out of frustration which went on to hit a line judge in the throat. This disqualification opened up an avenue for a first-time Grand Slam finalist, with Zverev seizing the opportunity with both hands. The German advanced on to the semi-finals in four sets, setting up an encounter against Busta who had advanced in five sets. Zverev pulled off a comeback win after being two sets down, setting up the final against Dominic Thiem. The German was the clear underdog but showcased great confidence, taking an early advantage with wins in the first and second sets. However, Thiem executed a soaring turnaround which witnessed a close finale with the German eventually finishing second best.

What could be denied however was Zverev's talent with the emerging star's serve hailed by one and all. The German certainly understands the importance of having a lethal serve and the impact of the same on his gameplay, as evident from statements.

“My serve is kind of the key to my game. When it's working, I'm playing great. When it's not, I'm losing matches like I did at Wimbledon. I think it's no secret that my serve is probably the most important shot in my game, and I'm happy with how it's working. I hope I continue to get better throughout the next few matches and everything else. The matches are not going to get easier and I will need that to be my weapon,” he said in an interaction with atptour.com.

“The serve is the shot I spend the most time on. It's the shot I practise the most as well. I am someone that needs that repetition, and I feel like the hard work maybe [is starting to come] along,” added Zverev.

Another key attribute in the German's gameplay is his ability to deliver powerful groundstrokes, with the emerging star's height enabling him to reach out further and keep more balls back in play. Zverev's backhand is considered one of the best in the game, with opponents struggling to counter the same effectively.

Grand Slam singles record:

Australian Open: SF (2020)

French Open: SF (2021)

Wimbledon: 4R (2017, 2021)

US Open: F (2020)