Alexander Zverev will defend the gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics, and a former champion of the Olympic event thinks he can do it once more.
Zverev won the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, seemingly out of nowhere. The German was always a super-talented player who emerged as a teenager who was actually winning big events and beating some top players.
After that initial rise, Zverev took a bit of a backseat, failing to build on that good career start. He hadn't won any Grand Slams, something he's yet to achieve, so his sudden run to the gold medal was surprising.
Keep in mind he was playing Novak Djokovic in the semi-final of that event and lost the opening set 1-6. The Serbian was spectacular that week and was also amazing in that opening set.
What happened after is still one of the most bizarre twists we've ever seen in tennis because the Serbian simply ran out of gas. That's how it looked: He went from being a superb player in the first set to struggling in the next two, which Zverev used to his advantage, winning the match in three set: 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Then he outplayed Karen Khachanov in the final to win the gold medal, which is his biggest career achievement. He openly said it after that match and many times since then, and it makes sense.
It is by far the biggest achievement in his career, at least until he wins a Grand Slam or becomes world number one.
"This is so much bigger than anything else... The value for me is incredible because you’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for your whole country."
The German will also have his chances in Paris. He's been one of the best performers at Roland Garros in recent years, with a couple of semi-finals and a final this year.
While he didn't win the final, he certainly left a very good impression, which is why many consider him the most likely to win the gold outside of Carlos Alcaraz, who is the undisputed favorite.
Part of what makes him so dangerous is that he's not really being as defensive anymore. He's attacking nowadays, which has unlocked his game to a new level.
Former Roger Federer's coach, Marc Rosset, fully believes that the 2020 US Open runner-up will have a good chance to win the gold medal because when he is aggressive, he can dominate.
He certainly did that against Rafael Nadal when they played earlier this year at Roland Garros or during that year when he got injured and displays like those are what makes Rosset believe that he could challenge for a medal under the Eiffel Tower.
"When Alexander plays aggressively, he is the most dominant tennis player as he did against Nadal at Roland Garros, he can dominate any player."
The tennis tournament at the Olympic Games starts on July 27th, 2024, and Zverev will be among the top seeds at the event.
Subscribed successfully
0 Comments