Beaten Zverev: “If I play like that, I don’t deserve to be No 1”

[Frenchy-Player]

“I was playing bad the whole week, to be honest,” Zverev said. “I didn’t think I was playing that great. Except against John Millman, maybe I had a good match, but the other two matches weren’t great either. It’s very different also playing during the day and during the night here. I think that didn’t help me in a way, as well. There is no excuses.

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to do better. I came here with a goal to win, and maybe to become No. 1 and all that. But if I play like that, I don’t deserve it. It’s as simple as that. I think after a match like this, it’s very silly to talk about it. I think I need to figure myself out first.”

“I mean, look, I obviously, I give credit to Denis,” Zverev told reporters. “It’s incredible he’s in the quarters. I think he deserves it. He’s done a lot of work. He’s improved his game. But I’ve got to look at myself, as well. Today was just, yeah, today was just, in my opinion, awful from my side.”

To his credit, though, Zverev resisted the temptation to blame any external reasons for his loss. The result, he said, was down to him.

“I had a good off-season,” he said. “I had good preparation. It’s sometimes not only that. Look, there are no excuses. I need to be better, I need to do better. It’s as simple as that. It’s no one else’s fault. It’s not the coach’s fault, it’s not my team’s fault, it’s no one else’s fault. It’s purely me. At the end of the day, as the world No. 3, I have to take responsibilities for the things I do and don’t do. Today was, yeah, was just not good enough to beat someone like Denis.”

https://www.tennismajors.com/austra...ke-that-i-dont-deserve-to-be-no-1-530876.html

 

[Deleted member 629564]

Humblerev, finally.

 

[NeutralFan]

Number one ? If he plays like that he doesn't even deserve to be in top 10. Dude clearly thinks very highly of himself lol

 

[ND-13]

Humble like Nadal
Chokes like Almagro

 

[Legend of Borg]

I get that to be great you need to actually believe you can be great but there is such a thing as taking it too far.

Street may have been straddling that line.

 

[Picmun]

Poor Zod. Never had The Mental.

 

[InsideOut900]

Number one ? If he plays like that he doesn't even deserve to be in top 10. Dude clearly thinks very highly of himself lol

If he won the whole thing he would have become number 1 after the AO points from last year dropped, so that's not just a random thing he said.

 

[NeutralFan]

If he won the whole thing he would have become number 1 after the AO points from last year dropped, so that's not just a random thing he said.

Yeah, lost in 4th round , never beaten any top 10 at slam and dude is talking about being number one. That's humble, he should say i don't deserve to be ranked that high .

 

[clayqueen]

Tennis
'I've never heard Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic mention money' Mats Wylander questions Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev needs to ‘get it together’ and focus on being the best rather than the money he makes according to Mats Wilander.

Video here:

'I've never heard Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic mention money' - Mats Wilander questions Alexander Zverev - Tennis video - Eurosport

Alexander Zverev needs to ‘get it together’ and focus on being the best rather than the money he makes according to Mats Wilander. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99

www.eurosport.com

 

[Shaolin]

Number one ? If he plays like that he doesn't even deserve to be in top 10. Dude clearly thinks very highly of himself lol

He will always put himself in there.

 

[onefineday]

We were all spared his winning his first slam and becoming No.1.
We owe Denis one.

 

[The Fedfather]

He said what we already knew, nothing insightful about what he thinks this 'me' reason actually encapsulates.

I wonder if Zverev fully admits to himself that he often gets unreasonably nervous and agitated during matches, struggles to calm himself down and focus, and that these issues, at this point, require professional help. You'd think for top athletes regularly performing under high pressure it would be a common practice to work with sports psychologists but in tennis this doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[Beulah Jesus]

“I was playing bad the whole week, to be honest,” Zverev said. “I didn’t think I was playing that great. Except against John Millman, maybe I had a good match, but the other two matches weren’t great either. It’s very different also playing during the day and during the night here. I think that didn’t help me in a way, as well. There is no excuses.

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to do better. I came here with a goal to win, and maybe to become No. 1 and all that. But if I play like that, I don’t deserve it. It’s as simple as that. I think after a match like this, it’s very silly to talk about it. I think I need to figure myself out first.”

“I mean, look, I obviously, I give credit to Denis,” Zverev told reporters. “It’s incredible he’s in the quarters. I think he deserves it. He’s done a lot of work. He’s improved his game. But I’ve got to look at myself, as well. Today was just, yeah, today was just, in my opinion, awful from my side.”

To his credit, though, Zverev resisted the temptation to blame any external reasons for his loss. The result, he said, was down to him.

“I had a good off-season,” he said. “I had good preparation. It’s sometimes not only that. Look, there are no excuses. I need to be better, I need to do better. It’s as simple as that. It’s no one else’s fault. It’s not the coach’s fault, it’s not my team’s fault, it’s no one else’s fault. It’s purely me. At the end of the day, as the world No. 3, I have to take responsibilities for the things I do and don’t do. Today was, yeah, was just not good enough to beat someone like Denis.”

https://www.tennismajors.com/austra...ke-that-i-dont-deserve-to-be-no-1-530876.html

I think Zverev has this goal thing all wrong. He should make it his goal to win slams and then maybe he will be world No 1.
We know quite a few players that got to no 1 but never won slams..

 

[TomTennis495]

He has the game to be number 1. Just not the consistency or seemingly mental fortitude.

 

[Kralingen]

Forget mentally, you never ever ever see a top player’s FH break down like that. He was hitting that thing like Benoit Paire. Lot of work to be done.

 

[Frenchy-Player]

He said what we already knew, nothing insightful about what he thinks this 'me' reason actually encapsulates.

I wonder if Zverev fully admits to himself that he often gets unreasonably nervous and agitated during matches, struggles to calm himself down and focus, and that these issues, at this point, require professional help. You'd think for top athletes regularly performing under high pressure it would be a common practice to work with sports psychologists but in tennis this doesn't seem to be the case.

How Daniil Medvedev harnessed his mental power

Daniil Medvedev has learned to unlock his impatience to reach the highest level with Francisca Dauzet, the psychoanalyst and performance coach who works with him.

www.tennismajors.com

 

[D.Nalby12]

This guy overrates himself in his mind. He is not even close to #1 spot. It's Medvedev who might get it.

 

[Mainad]

Does anyone know who the interviewer is? I She looks vaguely familiar. Is she a former player?

 

[Mainad]

I think Zverev has this goal thing all wrong. He should make it his goal to win slams and then maybe he will be world No 1.
We know quite a few players that got to no 1 but never won slams..

Only 1 male player in the Open Era (Rios) but 3 on the women's side (Safina, Jankovic, Pliskova).

 

[MiamiWeekendWarrior]

He will continue to repeat that mantra throughout his entire career.

 

[Sampras-Bruguera 1993]

Thiem part 2. Now he'll disappear for "mental re-evaluation". Softest generation in history

 

[McLovin]

Only 1 male player in the Open Era (Rios) but 3 on the women's side (Safina, Jankovic, Pliskova).

Actually, Wozniaki made it to #1 without winning a major. She won hers years later.

 

[Mark-Touch]

Poor Zod. Never had The Mental.

And Shap did? LOL !!!!!

 

[guanzishou]

 

[Terenigma]

He's right though, he was awful during that match and Shapovalov really wasn't doing anything that special to beat him. He was just taking advantage of the short balls and poor play like ANY other player would do. Glad to see him admit he wasn't good enough and needs to improve but I hope this attitude doesn't discourage him and more motivates him. He's a great player when he is on, he just needs to find the answer whilst on court himself.

 

[Sudacafan]

I agree that Zverev doesn’t deserve to be No.1, no matter what he does.

 

[Cabeza del Demonio]

He's right though, he was awful during that match and Shapovalov really wasn't doing anything that special to beat him. He was just taking advantage of the short balls and poor play like ANY other player would do. Glad to see him admit he wasn't good enough and needs to improve but I hope this attitude doesn't discourage him and more motivates him. He's a great player when he is on, he just needs to find the answer whilst on court himself.

Shapovalov was returning really well, though. Zverev would've looked a lot better if he were getting free points on his serve.

 

[Sudacafan]

Shapovalov was returning really well, though. Zverev would've looked a lot better if he were getting free points on his serve.

I regret not having watched that match. AO should be moved to a place where I can watch it without affecting my sleep patterns.

 

[guanzishou]

I regret not having watched that match. AO should be moved to a place where I can watch it without affecting my sleep patterns.

You can always try to record the match and watch it later when you are awake.

 

[Sudacafan]

You can always try to record the match and watch it later when you are awake.

That’s too much effort.

 

[duaneeo]

It's easy to forget that Zverev was once the only player of his generation with multiple wins in big finals against the Big-3. I had believed it was a given that he'd win slams--with Roland Garros and the USO becoming his pet slams. It's now 2022 and he hasn't yet even scored a win against a top-10...at any slam.

 

[Mainad]

Actually, Wozniaki made it to #1 without winning a major. She won hers years later.

True but she did eventually win one which makes all the difference.

 

[yokied]

Forget mentally, you never ever ever see a top player’s FH break down like that. He was hitting that thing like Benoit Paire. Lot of work to be done.

I only saw some of his Millman match and concluded the same thing Here

If Zod considers that his best match then he really needs serious help on that wing and with his mentality.

 

[DSH]

He should say: I don't deserve to be number 3!
Zverev's airs are his worst enemy.

 

[40L0VE]

On the plus side he didn't have any 5 setters in previous rounds against lower ranked players. He beat them handily to conserve energy as any seasoned top player would and does do however the Shapovalov result shows his match preparation mental or otherwise still needs work.

 

[wangs78]

His problem is he sees himself as the rightful successor to the Big 3. And so he gets upset when he loses to *lesser* players. Well, wake up, Zverev, no one anointed you to anything. Stop talking about #1 and just fix your forehand and learn to adjust your game when something isn’t working.

 

[Picmun]

And Shap did? LOL !!!!!

Today Shapos metal was better than Zod ! Not sayin' much, I know.

 

[Purestriker]

“I was playing bad the whole week, to be honest,” Zverev said. “I didn’t think I was playing that great. Except against John Millman, maybe I had a good match, but the other two matches weren’t great either. It’s very different also playing during the day and during the night here. I think that didn’t help me in a way, as well. There is no excuses.

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to do better. I came here with a goal to win, and maybe to become No. 1 and all that. But if I play like that, I don’t deserve it. It’s as simple as that. I think after a match like this, it’s very silly to talk about it. I think I need to figure myself out first.”

“I mean, look, I obviously, I give credit to Denis,” Zverev told reporters. “It’s incredible he’s in the quarters. I think he deserves it. He’s done a lot of work. He’s improved his game. But I’ve got to look at myself, as well. Today was just, yeah, today was just, in my opinion, awful from my side.”

To his credit, though, Zverev resisted the temptation to blame any external reasons for his loss. The result, he said, was down to him.

“I had a good off-season,” he said. “I had good preparation. It’s sometimes not only that. Look, there are no excuses. I need to be better, I need to do better. It’s as simple as that. It’s no one else’s fault. It’s not the coach’s fault, it’s not my team’s fault, it’s no one else’s fault. It’s purely me. At the end of the day, as the world No. 3, I have to take responsibilities for the things I do and don’t do. Today was, yeah, was just not good enough to beat someone like Denis.”

https://www.tennismajors.com/austra...ke-that-i-dont-deserve-to-be-no-1-530876.html

Well he still could be right about one thing. Meddy is looking like he is going to win it. But he should take his name out of the conversation for a bit.

“Before, there used to be always talk about Nadal, Federer and Djokovic — now the big titles were the Olympics, US Open, Turin (ATP Finals) and Wimbledon, and they were all won by Medvedev, Djokovic and me. I don’t expect it to be any different next year.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Honestrev

 

[Nuclear]

Tennis
'I've never heard Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic mention money' Mats Wylander questions Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev needs to ‘get it together’ and focus on being the best rather than the money he makes according to Mats Wilander.

Video here:

'I've never heard Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic mention money' - Mats Wilander questions Alexander Zverev - Tennis video - Eurosport

Alexander Zverev needs to ‘get it together’ and focus on being the best rather than the money he makes according to Mats Wilander. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99

www.eurosport.com

wow... That explains everything. That's why I think Medvedev is one step above Tsitsipas and Zverev. You dont ever see him posting travel vlogs in remote places or wearing multiple gold chains during a match/flexing his money on IG. And... Medvedev is married.

 

[-snake-]

wow... That explains everything. That's why I think Medvedev is one step above Tsitsipas and Zverev. You dont ever see him posting travel vlogs in remote places or wearing multiple gold chains during a match/flexing his money on IG. And... Medvedev is married.

I take it you forgot about the time he spent the weekend focused on working on his tan, and because of this he didn't have enough energy to beat Sissy

 

[Open Stance]

I regret not having watched that match. AO should be moved to a place where I can watch it without affecting my sleep patterns.

Of course the AO* organizers schedule that match at the same time as Nadal’s.

 

[TennisD]

If he won the whole thing he would have become number 1 after the AO points from last year dropped, so that's not just a random thing he said.

Yeah he was just 7 whole matches against the best players in the world away from it, basically a hop, skip, and a jump. Zverev is an absolute joke and will never be #1.

 

[Zoid]

Zverev's lack of performance in big matches is down to 2 simple things.

1) Poor forehand technique.
2) Ball toss.

I've written at length before of the pitfalls of the flexed wrist forehand during take back - you lose control. And in the big moments that's what everyone is looking for, a feeling of control so that they can be aggressive and confident in their shot. Zverev's backhand is nearly always solid when he plays. Why? Is he mentally tougher when the ball goes to that side? No. He is technically sound.

Same for his ball toss. It's too high and he doesn't brush thin enough on the second.

 

[FlamingCheeto]

and he never recovered:

 

[Zara]

I have found Zed's ball toss to be very high too. On a windy day, it could be such a liability.

 

[Sudacafan]

I have found Zed's ball toss to be very high too. On a windy day, it could be such a liability.

Ball toss is very high because Z is a giraffe.
Remember Del Potro?

 

[BeatlesFan]

Mats Wylander

Who is Mats Wylander!?

 

[Zara]

Ball toss is very high because Z is a giraffe.
Remember Del Potro?

No, I have seen short players with high ball toss. How tall are you?

 

[Sudacafan]

No, I have seen short players with high ball toss. How tall are you?

I am 5’11”1/2. All of my life I wanted to reach 6’ barefoot, but I failed.