It was only fitting that Alexander Zverev should claim his first Masters 1000 title with a win over Novak Djokovic at the Rome Open.
The Next Generation star dazzled the crowd at the packed Foro Italico as he dismissed the world No.2 in straight sets without facing a break point. Zverev will now rise into the world’s top 10 at the age of 20, becoming the youngest player to do so since Juan Martin del Potro in 2008.
Zverev has come along a long way since the first time he met Djokovic as a young child. His older brother is the same age as the Serbian and the two attended the same junior tournaments (as well as Andy Murray). Earlier this year, he recounted playing rallies with Djokovic at the age of four. Growing up, the two remain good friends and occasional practice partners.
“He has known me since I was four-years-old. My brother and him are the same age. They were playing juniors together before. I always practiced with him. He always took me to warm-ups when I was still a junior and stuff like this on the big tournaments and Grand Slams.” Said Zverev.
“So our relationship is very, very good. He obviously wished me all the best. The guy that he is, he’s one of the best guys on tour.”
The breakthrough win was one waiting to occur for Zverev. Unlike his fellow Next Generation rivals, he has been praised for having such a complete game at a young age by the stars of the men’s tour. Roger Federer has previously said Zverev has a ‘wonderful future ahead’ and Rafael Nadal described him as ‘a player with all the great shots.’
With such a high level of admiration, the inevitable comparisons take place. Being a German player, he is measured against the formidable Boris Becker and 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich. On the clay, Stitch didn’t win his first title until the age of 22 and Becker never won a single trophy on the dirt. As for Zverev, he already has two Clay titles to his name at the age of 20.
“Becker was an unbelievable player on any surface. I think he reached a few finals, reached the final in Monte-Carlo. It’s tough to win a big tournament on clay.” – Zverev
Zverev’s victory wasn’t just down to his talent and Djokovic’s lacklustre performance. It was the intensity of his tennis in Rome. On route to the final he managed to dismantle the serves of heavy hitters John Isner and Milos Raonic. Then against Djokovic, his ability to hit the ball deep into the court enabled him to continuously attack throughout the match.
“I knew I had to be aggressive from the first point on and to the last. It was very important for me to be able to stay this aggressive and don’t let him take over the game.” He said.
Taking into account his age, there will still be blips in the near future for the German player. Yet, there continues to be mounting excitement surrounding him. Zverev’s game style has the ability to elevate him to the top of the men’s game once the era of the ‘big four’ comes to an end.
“Hopefully I can continue my form like I did here into Paris, and we’ll see what it holds for me there.” Zverev said ahead of the French Open.
Exactly two years ago Zverev won his second Challenger title in Heilbronn. Now he is the king of the Rome Masters, a dramatic surge within a two-year period. As he continues to develop on the tour, so does the hype and excitement surrounding him. It is for this reason, why tennis fans should not fear about the future of the men’s game.
