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Alexander Zverev after winning the ATP finals: "An amazing year"
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Marco Alpozzi / dpa
Alexander Zverev had saved the best for last: The German tennis professional finished the final of the ATP finals in Turin against Daniil Medvedev with an ace.
But not with his first serve, but with the second.
A sign of special self-confidence.
It was all over after just 75 minutes.
Zverev won the final of this elite tournament of the world's eight best tennis players 6: 4 and 6: 4, and he did it with impressive confidence.
“I didn't come to Turin just to take part in the tournament.
I want to win as many matches as possible here again and get as far as possible, "Zverev said at the start of the tournament, which he was able to win in 2018, back then in London.
He sounded very tired.
Of course, the 24-year-old showed an unconditional will to win, but Zverev also said himself that he was a little "played empty" and was only looking forward to putting the bat down.
He would slowly feel the long season, said Zverev.
That the German played so calmly and evenly through this tournament and, among other things, was able to defeat world number one Novak Djoković in three close sets in the semifinals, was astonishing not only against this background.
Because off the pitch, it was a long, turbulent year for Alexander Zverev.
Eleven months ago he separated from his manager after a long argument, shortly before an ex-girlfriend had made allegations of violence against him, which Zverev denies.
The shadow still remains on Zverev's career, even if this "crazy year", as Zverev called it on Sunday, had many bright moments in store for him.
Olympic victory climax
The man from Hamburg won six tournaments in 2021, including the two major Masters in Madrid and Cincinnati. None of his competitors on the tour has secured more titles this year. His "most emotional experience ever", according to his own statements, was winning the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This title would "always stand above everything," said Zverev on the Sunday after the final. In terms of value, the triumph at the ATP finals would be just behind. "I can call myself world champion, that's a great feeling."
The world number three has improved a lot as a player this season. Serve, backhand, flexibility, physique: Zverev has worked hard on himself in many key areas of his sport. And he now has the mental maturity to win big matches like the Turin final against Medvedev. The Russian had won the last five games against Zverev before the final. The two had already met in the group stage: Zverev just lost in the tie-break of the third set. Medvedev threatened to develop into a kind of fearful opponent. But then the turnaround followed, and Zverev proved that he is now able to learn from mistakes within a very short time and to change small things (with great effect) in his game.
"The match plan today was to play as aggressively as possible and be as dominant as possible," said Zverev on Sunday. This project worked perfectly right from the start. The right-hander managed an early break in both sets, slammed his serves over the net with elemental force and a speed of regularly over 200 km / h and hit the lines again and again with his basic strokes. "He was just better today," said Medvedev, who did not know how to "allude to it". The US Open winner, who can mercilessly wear down his opponents with an unconventional style of play, sounded almost awesome.
Zverev believes that he has also developed personally.
"I've calmed down and now make the decisions myself," he said before the start of the ATP finals.
He was "back in control," he said, looking at his new, old environment.
"That was a big step forward." Since the beginning of the year, a lot in management has been going through his brother Mischa and the family group with his father Alexander Senior, who is also training him again.
Zverev needs the family as a haven of security.
"I am more motivated than ever before"
With his ex-manager Patricio Apey he had been in legal clinch for a long time and finally reached an out-of-court settlement. At the time, Zverev spoke of having come from "an unfair and oppressive contract" that he signed when he was 15. In January 2021, Zverev ended the cooperation with the consulting agency "Team 8" founded by Roger Federer and from then on relied fully on the family again.
"Our family is always one," Zverev told SPIEGEL a year ago.
At that time it was also about the allegations of his former girlfriend Olga Sharypova that Zverev had beaten her in October 2019 during the Masters Series tournament in Shanghai.
She also made multiple allegations of physical and psychological violence against Zverev during their 13-month relationship.
Zverev has always denied the allegations.
The ATP has initiated its own investigations into the case.
Zverev welcomed that. The results are still pending.
"I'm more motivated than ever," said Zverev on Sunday.
The next goal is finally to win his first Grand Slam title.
In terms of sport, it's also the best phase of his career so far, but off the pitch it's one of the most difficult.
