Zverev Rehires Former Fitness Trainer To Counter Tiredness In Big Matches
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Alexander Zverev has begun working with his former fitness trainer after admitting to becoming tired during one of the most important matches of his career last season.
Zverev is representing Team Germany at the 2025 United Cup. Last year, he played a starring role in helping his country win the event, beating Iga Swiatek's Team Poland in a dramatic final.
The ATP world No. 2 defeated Team Brazil's Thiago Monteiro in Germany's 3-0 triumph before winning in the singles and doubles against Team China to seal the defending champions' place in this year's quarterfinals.
Last season's success at the United Cup gave Zverev the ideal preparation for the Australian Open. He was just one set away from a maiden final at the year's opening Grand Slam but lost from two sets up against Daniil Medvedev.
Despite finishing the 2024 season at No. 2, Zverev acknowledges that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are ahead of him because they split the four Grand Slams last season between them.
Zverev has won an Olympic gold medal, two ATP Finals titles, and multiple ATP Masters 1000 tournaments but is yet to claim a major title despite twice coming close, including last season.
The German led the now-retired Dominic Thiem by two sets to love in the 2020 US Open final before getting nervous and allowing the Austrian back into the match. Thiem eventually prevailed in a final set tiebreak.
Zverev was one set away from a maiden Grand Slam title once again at the 2024 French Open. However, Alcaraz stormed back in the final two sets and ended up comfortably winning their contest at Roland Garros.
Although Zverev's 2024 season was impressive, he feels some of his tough losses were due to becoming tired in the latter stages. That has led to him hiring former fitness trainer Jaz Green. Zverev revealed that to reporters at the United Cup.
"I worked with him for seven years, and we kind of had a split for three years, and we’re back together. For me, the physical aspect probably was the most important of the off-season for sure. I feel like I’ve lost one or two matches last year (2024) because I got tired, which I don’t want to happen this year."
Last season's Paris Masters champion named his French Open final loss to Alcaraz as an example of his fatigue, and he is desperate to prevent this from becoming a consistent problem.
“I was a bit sick, actually. I was playing with fever there (at the Australian Open),” Zverev said when looking back on the past 12 months. And then there was the French Open with Carlos, where I got tired."
"I don’t want that to happen again. They were big matches. So, yeah, a lot of hard work on that aspect. I think the tennis will maybe take longer to adjust this year than it was maybe last year."
Zverev has also spoken about the possibility of Boris Becker becoming his coach, although whether Becker could commit to traveling throughout the year complicates the chances of that happening.
