Alexander Zverev recently revealed that he's made a solemn promise to contain his emotional behavior on a match court.
On-court outbursts in tennis come in many shapes and forms. Some players lose their temper under the intense pressure of failing to meet expectations, which can easily lead to an emotional meltdown, especially in high-stakes matches.
Other incidents that can trigger unrestrained emotional behavior include disputes over line calls, which happen frequently and caused Andrey Rublev to be disqualified from the Dubai Championships earlier this season.
Disagreements with the chair umpires on contentious calls and officiating can fuel an on-court outburst. Zverev was once expelled from a tournament and repeatedly smacked the umpire's chair match after a match in Acapulco two years ago.
But following his fantastic comeback win in the third round of Roland Garros, the German insisted that he is a changed man and has learned to keep his tempers under control almost every time he is on the court. He understands how big of an influence he is on the court and wants to act and behave responsibly.
"I told myself I want to become a different type of player and different type of role model as well in a way. I don't break racquets anymore. I barely get warnings. I realized that I don't do any good to myself and especially to people and kids watching
This is turning out to be a great tournament for Zverev, who defeated 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in the first round and has since overcome David Goffin and Tallon Griekspoor to reach the fourth round stage.
He will play 13th seed Holger Rune on Monday. The Dane leads the head-to-head 1-0, having beaten Zverev at the 2022 Munich Open. The World No. 4 has never failed to reach the quarterfinal in five of his last trips to Paris.
0 Comments