Alexander Zverev came agonizingly close to Wimbledon glory on Sunday, but the German star says the aggressive game plan that got him to the final is the key to eventually catching up with men’s tennis powerhouses Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev, 29, will move up to second in the ATP world rankings on Monday after pushing world number one Sinner hard before falling 6-7(7) 7-6(2) 6-3 6-4 in the Centre Court final. It was his 10th consecutive loss to the Italian, but this one was a genuine battle from start to finish.
A pivotal moment came in the third set when Zverev stumbled and fell at 3-3 during his only break point opportunity of the match. Had he converted, he might have become the first German man to claim the Wimbledon singles title since Michael Stich did it in 1991.
The Wimbledon final came just weeks after Zverev broke through for his first Grand Slam championship at the French Open — his 41st major attempt. Some observers have noted that Sinner was eliminated in the second round at Roland Garros and that Alcaraz missed the tournament entirely due to an ongoing wrist injury.
The confidence Zverev gained from his Roland Garros victory was on full display at Wimbledon, where a noticeably more aggressive style — particularly with his forehand — carried him to his deepest run ever at the grasscourt major.
“I’ve said it at the beginning of the year, and I’ve stuck to it. That’s the tennis I want to play. That’s the game style I want to play,” Zverev told reporters. “There were matches in the beginning of the year where I was struggling a bit more with this style, but I was consistently doing it. The more I do it, the better I’ll become.”
“I won a Grand Slam for the first time in my career in Paris. I made it to the finals here for the first time in my career. Of course, something has to be working.”
During the final, Zverev’s first serve landed in at roughly 80% throughout much of the match, while his forehand — once considered too cautious — was deployed with real force against Sinner.
“When I have the opportunity, I hit it. Whether I make it or miss it, that depends on the day. But I definitely go for it,” he said. “That’s my goal, that’s my aim for this year, that’s my aim for hopefully the rest of my career.”
With Sinner and Alcaraz combining for 12 Grand Slam titles between them, Zverev is confident he belongs in that conversation.
“I think I’ve been pushing those guys. I haven’t beaten them this year, but I’ve pushed them to the limits, I would say,” Zverev said. “Alcaraz in Australia, Jannik maybe here. Even though it was four sets, I think it was a very close four sets, which could have gone five as well.”
“There was always this conversation who will be the third guy, the search for the third guy. Kind of the last couple years, I’ve always been the third guy, but I was just far away from those two. If I get closer to them, if I can be in the mix, competing and winning the big tournaments, it would be great.”
Zverev also addressed the fall that disrupted his momentum in the third set, revealing it affected his ability to serve effectively.
“I over-extended my knee again, similar to two years ago. I was struggling to push off on the serve a little bit. So my serve speed went down,” he said. “But everything else went fine. I think the fall didn’t help me in the third set. My level dropped a little bit. But then I picked it up in the fourth again. Overall I thought it was quite high level throughout.”
