Twice world champion, Olympic champion 2021 in Tokyo – Alexander Zverev (24) has already celebrated great victories. But with a triumph in one of the most important tennis tournaments, it doesn’t work (yet).
Zverev also fails prematurely at the Australian Open, losing with a crash to Canadian Denis Shapovalov (22) 3: 6, 6: 7, 3: 6. Then he scolds himself: “I just had a shitty week when it came to tennis.”
Not only that: Zverev has a Grand Slam allergy!
Zverev has appeared 29 times at the Australian Open, the French Open, in Wimbledon and at the US Open. He made it to the final once, losing to Ösi Dominic Thiem (28) in New York in 2020.
24 years and still without a Grand Slam title. Others were quicker:
► Boris Becker (54) won Wimbledon in 1985 at the age of 17. Legendary!
► Novak Djokovic (34) was 20 when he won the Australian Open in 2008.
► Rafael Nadal (35) was just 19 in 2005 when he won his first French Open.
► Roger Federer (40) became Wimbledon winner in 2003 at the age of 21.
Zverev frustrated, especially since rival Djokovic was missing after his Corona expulsion: “I wanted to win the tournament, become number 1, but I didn’t deserve it like that.”
An end to the Grand Slam allergy is not in sight. Zverev: “After a game like that it would be pretty stupid to talk about a Grand Slam title. I lost as number 3 in the round of 16. I’m just a long way from a Grand Slam victory.”
