Alexander Zverev got really annoyed by a question that he often gets regarding his current tennis compared to his pre-injury self.
The German might not have a lot to show in recent years in terms of trophies and other achievements, but he's been playing really well most of the time. Zverev lacks the big trophies, but he's been pretty consistent and returned from a bad ankle injury about as well as he could have possibly hoped.
His level might not be the one he had at the ill-fated Roland Garros, but he is also not keen to return to the past all the time. Asked by TennisTV, ahead of the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, to compare his level right now to the one he had before the injury, Zverev voiced his frustration with the question.
As he explained, he is doing pretty well, and his results and ranking certainly support this claim. He feels like he's even better right now than he was before, which some might dispute, but ultimately, it's about his own feeling on the tennis court.
"I'm tired of this question to be honest, because I get this question so many times. I think winning these kind of tournaments, that's when you're back at your best, but also at the same time, I'm number five in the world."
"So to be honest, I don't think you're playing bad tennis when you're at number five in a world. So, I think, I'm on a good way. I'm getting to later stage of the big tournaments more consistently, I feel like, and that's what's it's all about."
The past is the past, and Zverev's choice to focus on the future is the right approach. Ultimately, if he's content with the results he's been having—and it seems like he is—that's what matters.