Alexander Zverev to ‘let the results come’ as he seeks first Grand Slam title
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Germany's Alexander Zverev holding the trophy after beating Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to win the Paris Masters on Nov 3.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – Alexander Zverev said he will “let the results come to me” as he targets a first Grand Slam trophy of his career in 2025.
The 27-year-old German won the Paris Masters on Nov 3 by comprehensively beating France’s Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to earn the seventh ATP 1000-level title of his career.
However, the new world No. 2 has not won one of tennis’ four Majors, finishing as runner-up at the French Open in 2024 and the US Open in 2020.
“I have goals, for sure. The goals are quite obvious for everyone. For me, right now, it’s about improving my game. And the results, I will let the results come to me,” the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist said on Nov 3.
“I cannot force the results. I didn’t come here this week thinking ‘Oh, I for sure want to win this tournament’. No, I want to improve, I want to get better. This is a process of a few months, and I’m improving for next year already hopefully.”
After suffering an ankle injury in the Roland Garros semi-finals in 2022, Zverev’s return to the top has been slow.
In that time, Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz have taken up the mantle of Grand Slam kings.
They each had two Grand Slam titles in 2024, with Alcaraz besting Zverev in five sets at the French Open in June.
However, Zverev, who also won the Rome Open Masters title in May, reached 66 match wins on Nov 3, overtaking Sinner as the player with the most victories in 2024 and supplanting Alcaraz as the world No. 2.
To reach the top rank, the German said it would require winning Majors.
“It’s very difficult to be world No. 1 without winning a Slam. I had the chance in 2022 if I would have not gotten injured,” he said.
“You have to win Grand Slams to become world No. 1. I’m world No. 2 now, but I’m 3,000 points away from Jannik. Without the Grand Slams and without the points of the Grand Slams, it’s not possible any more.”
Zverev will take part in the Nov 10-17 ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, where he will be seeking a third title (after 2018 and 2021) at the season-ending showpiece that brings together the eight best players in the world.
“It’s such a special tournament. It’s such a special atmosphere and feeling when you’re there and only eight players in the world are there. Everybody wants to win this title and play good tennis,” he said.
Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz became the fifth player to book his spot in the eight-man ATP Finals after last week’s Paris Masters. The American joins already-qualified Sinner, Zverev, Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev for the event in northern Italy.
Novak Djokovic, the two-time ATP Finals defending champion, missed the Paris Masters but remains in the running in sixth spot.
Fritz was eliminated in the second round in Paris by British No. 1 Jack Draper. The 27-year-old’s biggest moment of the year came at the US Open, where he advanced to his first major final. The home favourite became the first American male to make a Grand Slam singles decider since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
This is also the third consecutive season in which Fritz has won multiple titles. He emerged victorious at Delray Beach and Eastbourne.
Four players are chasing the three remaining berths – Djokovic, Norway’s Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur of Australia and Russian Andrey Rublev. Ruud and Rublev are playing in Metz, France this week, with de Minaur in action in Belgrade, Serbia to try to get ahead of Djokovic, who is not playing this week. AFP, REUTERS
