Zverev is playing at a level only Sinner has eclipsed

We all thought Alcaraz was the 2nd best ever in terms of highest level of play (just behind Sinner), yet Zverev has been able to surpass this.

2nd highest level of tennis ever seen, claps for Zverev please.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
How has Sascha done historically at the AO? The way people on the board have been talking the last few days, I’m hoping he can slay there in 2025.
He is good but not great.
AO 2020 - He had incredible showing vs Stan and Thiem but Thiem beat him in close 4. This was when Zverev first started his Highest first serve % and being unbreakable phase.
AO 2021 - Good showing vs Djokovic but lost in 4. He held many setpoints vs Djokovic in 4th set but Djokovic won
AO 22 - Disaster
AO 23 - Comeback after Injury
AO 24 - Thrashed Alcaraz to run into Meddy who didn't quit.

I think he is 4th best player in AO today behind Djokovic/Sinner and Carlos distant 3rd.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
What, Med is getting no love? Here's hoping he'll be back in (somewhat decent) shape at AO.
Nah. Meddy stock has gone down now. He has himself to blame. It's been almost 18 months before when he won a title back in Rome. He did this to himself. I don't take drastic positions but 18 months is huge time. He needs to show he can improve right now.
 

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
We all thought Alcaraz was the 2nd best ever in terms of highest level of play (just behind Sinner), yet Zverev has been able to surpass this.

2nd highest level of tennis ever seen, claps for Zverev please.
I haven't seen anyone else playing at this high level since Rune in 2022 when he won the Paris Masters.
 

buscemi

Legend
This feels like Goffin erasure.

GNo0X8fWIAAy4K9
 

Winner Sinner

Hall of Fame
Unlike the 2024 comparison Sinner vs Alcaraz, where the only advantage the Spaniard has on his side is that of h2h, 3-0 which, however overwhelming, had 3 matches that were all rather balanced, the Alcaraz vs Zverev comparison already makes more sense to be placed to subvert what the ranking says.

Alcaraz has won more tournaments (4 vs 2), has an advantage in the h2h (2-1) but above all he has a 2-0 in the slams, to which to add the Olympic silver (while Zverev went out in the qf vs Musetti) which does not give points but which with such a minimal difference in the ranking must all the more be taken into consideration in the evaluation.
In general yes, Alcaraz had significantly higher peaks than Zverev but the German was more consistent.

For me, as others have said, 2 slams won against 0 are enough to tip the balance of this 2024 decidedly in Alcaraz's favour.
And I would have said the same thing even if Alcaraz had won the US Open and despite this Sinner had remained number 1 in the world, at that point with an overall seasonal tally in the slams 3-1 in favor of Alcaraz, how could you prefer the season of Italian compared to that of Spanish?
Hypothesis which among other things could also have been verified last year with Alcaraz who after the US Open still had the possibility of finishing at number 1 despite Djokovic being ahead 3-1 in the slams.

So I choose Alcaraz's season even if Zverev were to win the ATP Finals, even if in this scenario he would get even closer, let alone now where the verdict in Turin is still yet to be written.
 

Winner Sinner

Hall of Fame
He's the only top 10 player not to have won a title this year (unless he breaks this duck at the WTF).
I'm going from memory, of the top 20 in the current rankings only Medvedev, Rune, Musetti and Tiafoe haven't won a tournament in 2024?

The only other doubt I have is about Paul, I don't remember if he won an American 250 tournament or lost the final.

PS

Rune hasn't won a tournament in even longer than Medvedev, or am I wrong?
And above all, how long has it been since you beat a top 10, sf with Ruud in Rome 2023?
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
I'm going from memory, of the top 20 in the current rankings only Medvedev, Rune, Musetti and Tiafoe haven't won a tournament in 2024?

The only other doubt I have is about Paul, I don't remember if he won an American 250 tournament or lost the final.

PS

Rune hasn't won a tournament in even longer than Medvedev, or am I wrong?
And above all, how long has it been since you beat a top 10, sf with Ruud in Rome 2023?

Paul has won 3 titles this year: Dallas Open (a 250), Queen's (a 500) and Stockholm Open ( a 250).

Rune's last title was at 2023 Munich (a 250). Medvedev's last title was at 2023 Rome (a Masters 1000).
 

GloW

Professional
He is good but not great.
AO 2020 - He had incredible showing vs Stan and Thiem but Thiem beat him in close 4. This was when Zverev first started his Highest first serve % and being unbreakable phase.
AO 2021 - Good showing vs Djokovic but lost in 4. He held many setpoints vs Djokovic in 4th set but Djokovic won
AO 22 - Disaster
AO 23 - Comeback after Injury
AO 24 - Thrashed Alcaraz to run into Meddy who didn't quit.

I think he is 4th best player in AO today behind Djokovic/Sinner and Carlos distant 3rd.
He will thrash one of them again hopefully. ;)
 

Winner Sinner

Hall of Fame
Paul has won 3 titles this year: Dallas Open (a 250), Queen's (a 500) and Stockholm Open ( a 250).

Rune's last title was at 2023 Munich (a 250). Medvedev's last title was at 2023 Rome (a Masters 1000).
You pass through the two 250 tournaments, but how could I not remember Queen's, among other things where he beat Musetti in the final.
 

Succession

Semi-Pro
Not with those volleys.
His volleys are horrendous, still he is approaching the net a lot recently which suggest he is training them increasingly. However, touch is something you can’t really train and you are more likely to falter in the crucial moments at the net in the biggest matches. That’s why I think Raz has a higher ceiling than Sinner going forward, he has the net game in his DNA, he needs to improve shot selection, shot tolerance and game plan which I feel is easier to do than develop a deadly net game when lacking natural touch.
 

tsp_207

Semi-Pro
Even Zverev disagrees with you. He said Alcaraz is at a higher level than him. I'd argue even Djokovic beats this version of Sascha.
 

smalahove

Hall of Fame
The quality of his BH is impressive, but he didn't meet any opposition that would give us a clear indication that he is a contender for slam titles. Even with his rock solid BH, Fils showed that he still is vulnerable on this FH side, and his deep position. Can he win the AO? Yes, but not if he meets any of the gatekeepers in form.
 

Rovesciarete

Hall of Fame
The quality of his BH is impressive, but he didn't meet any opposition that would give us a clear indication that he is a contender for slam titles. Even with his rock solid BH, Fils showed that he still is vulnerable on this FH side, and his deep position. Can he win the AO? Yes, but not if he meets any of the gatekeepers in form.

His backhand has made a lot of lefties sad. Much will depend on the specific matchups.
 

thrust

Legend
We all thought Alcaraz was the 2nd best ever in terms of highest level of play (just behind Sinner), yet Zverev has been able to surpass this.

2nd highest level of tennis ever seen, claps for Zverev please.
Zverev has won a total of 2 tournaments this year, whereas Sinner and Alcaraz have won 2 slams as well as masters. Zverev is too streaky and not strong enough mentally to win slams, at least so far. What great player did Zverev beat to win this Paris Masters?
 
Zverev still taking the game to new heights - we will never see anything like this again. Find out how he does against Taylor Fries tomorrow for a battle of the titans!!!!
 

BorgTheGOAT

Legend
We all thought Alcaraz was the 2nd best ever in terms of highest level of play (just behind Sinner), yet Zverev has been able to surpass this.

2nd highest level of tennis ever seen, claps for Zverev please.
lol. So many wrong statements in one post. If I didn’t know it was intentional trolling..
 

BorgTheGOAT

Legend
they are closer to Borg in slam count than Borg is to Djokovic.......
Borg’s greatness can not be measured on his slam count alone, given that he only played three per year and retired at 25 from playing slams. On another note. I joined that forum back in 2017, but even back then I didn’t consider Borg the indisputable GOAT. However, at that time, I saw him as a “potential” GOAT given his unrivalled dominance of the two most polarised surfaces and given that at the age of his retirement he had roughly the same number of slams as Nadal and Fed at the same age while only playing three a year. But no worries I do not really consider him GOAT, just a username.
 
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