Zverev Admits Mental Toughness Of Nadal And Djokovic Keys For Grand Slam Success
Germany's Alexander Zverev picked Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the ultimate teachers of mental toughness given their unparalleled dominance in Grand Slams.
Zverev endured a lung-busting couple of sets in his third-round match against Grigor Dimitrov. First, he overcame a 6-7, 2-4 deficit and then saved two set points in the second set to level the match. Zverev raised his level considerably in the next two sets to run away with it 6-7, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1.
His progress to the fourth round at the 2023 US Open was so assured he only dropped a combined two games in set 3 and set 4. Asked after the match, how players are able to adjust after enduring a mental battle with themselves, Zverev cited the examples of Nadal and Djokovic, who are the benchmark when it comes to mental resilience.
Djokovic and Nadal have won 45 Grand Slams between them, with Djokovic one more clear than his great rival in that count. Zverev describes the pair's mental strength as key to their dominance because they have the right mindset that is needed to become successful.
"To be honest it's all in your mind. It's all in your head it's all in your brain. At the end of the day, we are all physically tough. We all train very hard, we all train six or seven hours a day in the off-season."
"At the end of the day sometimes it’s about who’s mentally tougher. There’s a certain Novak Djokovic & a certain Rafa Nadal who’ve been doing it for the past 20 years. That’s why they won 23 & 22 Grand Slams. I’m just trying to learn from them."
Zverev has now booked a fourth straight fourth-round spot at the US Open with his comeback win, and will now take on sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner in a blockbuster on Monday. It will be a rematch from the 2021 US Open, where Zverev defeated Sinner at the same stage in straight sets.
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