Former world number one Justine Henin was a guest during this year's US Open coverage on Eurosport, where she identified Alexander Zverev as a disappointment.
Zverev came into New York with high hopes of performing well, having a strong history at the event. He has previously made several semi-finals at the US Open, including a final in 2020, in which he led 2-0 against Dominic Thiem, only to lose in five sets.
That remains one of the most painful losses of Zverev’s career, but he has bounced back well since. He made the final at Roland Garros earlier this year, even though he failed to close out a 2-1 lead in sets once again.
The German arrived in New York hoping to do well. Analysts were confident that he could, given the type of year he had up to that point, but things didn’t go as planned.
He didn’t play well and was beaten by a very inspired Taylor Fritz in four sets. Zverev didn’t look sharp in that match, and according to former player Justine Henin, it was a huge disappointment.
On Eurosport, she explained why people had expected him to do well and that the most disappointing aspect of his loss was the manner in which it happened.
"Zverev is a disappointment. There were expectations. For me, it’s mainly the manner. I found him extremely defensive. At one point, you say to yourself that to win a Grand Slam, and he came close to doing it at Roland Garros and at the same time so far, he has to dare even more."
Zverev has spent much of his career as a defensive player, sitting back behind the baseline and allowing his opponent to dictate play. He absorbed their power and redirected it, a strategy that worked well for a good portion of his career.
However, in recent years, modern tennis has shifted towards a more aggressive style. Players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been gradually taking over with their aggressive baseline approach at the forefront.
Zverev himself stepped into the court more often this year, and it paid off as he played extremely well and won many matches. However, against Fritz, he reverted to his old ways, and it ultimately cost him the match.
"Against Fritz, I saw him fall back into his old ways. I think there are strong decisions to make to win a Grand Slam tournament, particularly on calendar issues. It was his 73rd match."
"He can highlight his backhand that let him down, but for me it goes further than that. And at some point, you have to save yourself and find your peak form, Djokovic is the master in this area."
There will certainly be some things to think about after this latest disappointment. Zverev's time is not running out, but he's not the youngest anymore. Not winning at least one would be a major disappointment, considering his potential.
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