Who is the second best german player of the open era? Stich or Zverev?

Who is the 2nd best german player?

  • Stich

    Votes: 52 68.4%
  • Zverev

    Votes: 24 31.6%

  • Total voters
    76

Hyde

Semi-Pro
As Boris Becker is the best german tennis player ever, I wonder who takes the #2 spot. Has Zverev done enough to overtake Stich to be the 2nd best german? Here‘s their career achievements:

Michael Stich:

1 slam title
3 slam finals
1 ATP Finals title
2 Masters 1000
1 Davis Cup
1 Olympic Doubles Gold
18 titles overall
No 2 in the world


Alexander Zverev:

3 slam finals
2 ATP Finals titles
1 Olympic Gold
7 Masters 1000
24 titles overall
No 2 in the world
 
Stich. 5-4 vs Sampras (+beat him in 93 YEC final) plus 3 slam finals on 3 different surfaces, beautiful serve+ backhand. Zverev will never win a slam. Shame Stich was never in great form at Wimbledon again, should have done much better in 94 and 97 in particular
 
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not enough yet so more like its michael ..as the second best
 
As Boris Becker is the best german tennis player ever, I wonder who takes the #2 spot. Has Zverev done enough to overtake Stich to be the 2nd best german? Here‘s their career achievements:

Michael Stich:

1 slam title
3 slam finals
1 ATP Finals title
2 Masters 1000
1 Davis Cup
1 Olympic Doubles Gold
18 titles overall
No 2 in the world


Alexander Zverev:

3 slam finals
2 ATP Finals titles
1 Olympic Gold
7 Masters 1000
24 titles overall
No 2 in the world
Honourable mentions for other Germans (though not in the open era as you specified) - Nusslein (one of the best in the world in the 1930s, won the world professional championship), Von Cramm - strong opposition for Don Budge
 
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thanks martin, its mutually.. im good.. also just in case, wanted to say that wasnt banned just simply deleted my account last summer thats it, a bit later after euro final..:)
Yeah, I know that you haven't been banned, I just thought there was a possibility that they'd sent you to the battlefield ...you never know during these crazy times.
 
You have to worry a bit for the future of German tennis. As soon as Zverev goes, they have no up and coming players with elite-level game on either the ATP or WTA.
 
You have to worry a bit for the future of German tennis. As soon as Zverev goes, they have no up and coming players with elite-level game on either the ATP or WTA.
Justin Engel (#342) and Diego Dedura (#373) are the two highest ranked 17 year-olds in the ATP rankings. Are they not thought to have high potential?
 
As Boris Becker is the best german tennis player ever, I wonder who takes the #2 spot. Has Zverev done enough to overtake Stich to be the 2nd best german? Here‘s their career achievements:

Michael Stich:

1 slam title
3 slam finals
1 ATP Finals title
2 Masters 1000
1 Davis Cup
1 Olympic Doubles Gold
18 titles overall
No 2 in the world


Alexander Zverev:

3 slam finals
2 ATP Finals titles
1 Olympic Gold
7 Masters 1000
24 titles overall
No 2 in the world
Have you heard of Gottfried Von Cramm.
Or are you considering open era players only
 
Stich made multiple major semis on 3 surfaces during a time when that was very rare. From 1991 until 2006(when many started doing it, not just big 3) Stich and Agassi were the only players to do that.
Uber talent who started late in the sport. His peak level was very, very high and few could deal with it.

Zverev has more consistent results though it’s “easier” to be consistent in today’s less volatile game. Stich beating Edberg and Becker back-to-back to win Wimbledon likely tops anything Zverev will ever do.
 
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It's pretty notable that Zverev has 0 Wimbledon quarter-final appearances, in contrast to Stich reaching the semi-finals or better at all 4 majors. That's despite the fact that Stich played in far more polarised conditions, not just in terms of surfaces but also in terms of having to adapt to facing opponents with a far greater variety of different playing styles, and also when there were 16 seeds at majors instead of 32. The switch to 32 seeds from 2001 had a pretty big impact on the sport, not least in terms of reducing the potential early round banana skins for the top players.

In terms of talent, it's a no-brainer to me that Stich comes out on top there.

Zverev is what I'd call an 'academy style player'. He does the fundamentals very well, including moving well for his height (though Stich himself was an excellent athlete). But he lacks the ability to 'improvise' and be spontaenous, and of course his net game is not exactly strong for top level professional standards.

In 1991 when he reached the semis at RG and then won Wimbledon, the likes of Newcombe and Courier (who he played in both tournaments), were very complimentary about Stich's game, his variety and ability to adjust his playing patterns so much.

The fact that he enjoyed such a successful career, despite committing fully to tennis so late, was also notable. When he was 16 years old a few months out from his 17th birthday, and watched Becker's incredible 1985 Wimbledon triumph, tennis was still only his 2nd main sporting focus behind football. At that same age, most future pros have basically been full-time ball-machines for several years at least, and eat, drink and sleep tennis.
 
I voted Stich
It could change becouse Zverev is playing, can win GS titles, can reach number 1 etc
 
Yeah, I know that you haven't been banned, I just thought there was a possibility that they'd sent you to the battlefield ...you never know during these crazy times.
crazy times indeed, sometimes im thinking that one of my grandpa (hes ukrainian) wouldna def believed that, if he were alive, that such a thing is happening, thats kinda two brotherly nations would end up in such a situation, i think its basically like it was in your country in 90s, similar stuff, but apparently its sewn in human nature to constantly fight, and theres nothing we can do about it unfo-ly
 
Becker, Courier, Sampras

Becker reached 1 major semi on clay from the 90s / after the 80s.

Courier reach 1 major semi on grass / at Wimbledon during his career, when he reached the final in 1993.

Sampras reached 1 major semi on clay / at RG during his career in 1996.

So Agassi and Stich were only players to reach multiple semis at majors on each of clay, grass and hard during that period, from 1990-2005. Clearly it doesn't mean that Stich was a bigger legend than those other players (and Becker did achieve it himself during his career, just not making this cut here), but it shows how versatile he was on different surfaces, when there was generally a lot more polarisation.
 
He overachiever too as born in another time he would be a random sometimes top 10 player at best, and probably make no slam finals, win 1 Masters, etc...

No. This belief that this gen lacks talent is just poor thinking. Even Fed had said Zed should be winning majors based on his talent. His stubbornness is a choice.
 
Becker reached 1 major semi on clay from the 90s / after the 80s.

Courier reach 1 major semi on grass / at Wimbledon during his career, when he reached the final in 1993.

Sampras reached 1 major semi on clay / at RG during his career in 1996.

So Agassi and Stich were only players to reach multiple semis at majors on each of clay, grass and hard during that period, from 1990-2005. Clearly it doesn't mean that Stich was a bigger legend than those other players (and Becker did achieve it himself during his career, just not making this cut here), but it shows how versatile he was on different surfaces, when there was generally a lot more polarisation.
Tbf he only managed to reach one AO SF
 
The fact that he enjoyed such a successful career, despite committing fully to tennis so late, was also notable. When he was 16 years old a few months out from his 17th birthday, and watched Becker's incredible 1985 Wimbledon triumph, tennis was still only his 2nd main sporting focus behind football. At that same age, most future pros have basically been full-time ball-machines for several years at least, and eat, drink and sleep tennis.

Stich also retired early. He was like 28 or something like that when he retired.
 
Crazy thing is being declared here.

Stich even with less accomplishments is being declared greater by a large margin of TTW voters.

So either resume does NOT matter, or slam count is the ONLY thing that matters.
Zverev's achievements in comparision are not enough to compensate for 0 slams vs 1. Stich has a YEC too, Stich has a YE#2 too, Stich has slam finals on each surface, Stich has an Olympic Gold too, Stich has Masters titles too. So even just on achievements Zverev would need to win a slam to be ahead.

That is even before considering he plays in the worst era ever and Stich one of the toughest.
 
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