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'We had to play against Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer in our first years,' Alexander Zverev explains why it was difficult for players from his generation to win Grand Slam titles

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Gouri Das | Last updated 5/15/24

Alexander Zverev is a part of the generation that has players like Stefanos Tsitsipas , Daniil Medvedev , and Andrey Rublev . The tennis fraternity once viewed them as the future of the sport but now has shifted their focus to the two youngsters, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner .

Zverev, however, views things differently, as he pointed out how players from his generation as rookies had to face Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, and beating the Big 3 was a daunting task.

Our generation, me, Daniil, Stefanos…we are all great players. The biggest difference between us and the younger generation is that we had to play against Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer in our first years on the tour, a difficult challenge in tennis. But we still managed to beat them. Alexander Zverev said on Tennis Channel

Zverev is aiming to win his second Rome Masters title, which he won the first time by beating Djokovic in the 2017 edition. He reached the quarterfinals to face Taylor Fritz after an easy win over Nuno Borges in the fourth round.

Alexander Zverev preparing himself to win Roland Garros title

Alexander Zverev wants to play more aggressively to prepare himself for the upcoming French Open. The clay tournaments preceding the event in Paris are helping Sascha find his rhythm and make him play differently.

I have to play more aggressively, and it’s coming together. Hopefully, it’s going to get even better in Paris. Everything just has to be more aggressive. Alexander Zverev told Tennis Channel

The 27-year-old German doubts himself based on the results of the past but is confident that once he finds his rhythm, he can give his best to lift his maiden Roland Garros title. He recalled the 2022 French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal and labeled it as the ‘worst ending’.

In that match, Nadal won the first set and when the scores were tied 6-6 in the second set, Zverev was forced to withdraw after injuring his right ankle. Zverev has not yet advanced to the final of the French Open and is hoping to get there this season.

Meanwhile, in the Italian Open, Zverev will face Taylor Fritz for the eighth time in his career. In their seven encounters, the German won four matches but the result in their last face-off, in the 2023 United Cup, came in favor of the American. The World No.5 has not yet won a title on the ATP Tour this season and has a good opportunity to win his second title in Rome.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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