Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Friday, November 15, 2024
Photo credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty
We rarely see Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz throw the racquet furiously.
Yet the reigning Grand Slam champions are experts in tennis takedowns, it said Alexander Zverev.
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World No. 2 Zverev says Sinner and Alcaraz dispel a shared myth.
While both are top players who are highly regarded for extending points, Zverev says Sinner and Alcaraz are at their best and use bursts to close points.
Although both of them can be very good defenders, and they do not have a defensive mentality, Zverev said after defeating Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the ATP Finals today.
“I think everyone talks about how great they are defensively. I don’t think they play a lot of defense,” Zverev said. “Tennis doesn’t care about defense anymore. It was a few years ago when tennis was very different, slower.
“I think now those guys, 90% of the time they’re playing badly. It’s about making sure you can keep up with them, be able to keep up with their speed. That’s the first thing. . I can’t hold back, I try to shoot in the most important moments, maybe that’s where I struggle, and in my work , I trust my shots and I want them when I need them.
Former OIympic gold medalist Zverev almost broke his streak when he won eight games to win the Rolex Paris Masters title and return to the final in Turin.
Ball and court conditions favor the returner more than the server in today’s tennis, Zverev suggests.
The French Open finalist points to the return of power from top-ranked Sinner and third-ranked Alcaraz as motivation to sharpen his earlier comeback. In 2023, Alcaraz and Sinner were in the Top 3 for most returned matches won on the ATP Tour.
This season, Alcaraz is second to Alex de Minaur in comeback games won, while Sinner is seventh on that list.
Zverev’s early return and predictability down the line were key factors in his sixth win in 11 meetings vs. Alcaraz today.
“The best players in the world now are players who come back well,” said Zverev. “Jannik is one of the best returners. Novak has been one of the best returners in decades now.
“Carlos is one of the best returners. So it’s no longer the best serve, he’s the best returner.
“For me, that was one of the most important parts of my game that needed improvement and where I was worse than any other last year.”
