A meteoric rise up the ATP Emirates Rankings has left Alexander Zverev hungry for more.
The German 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season that has seen him climb to a ranking high of third in the world. During 2017 he won five ATP titles, including two at Masters 1000 level. Zverev’s trophy tally has only been passed by two players this year. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Despite the success, there continues to be one area of the sport he struggles with, the grand slam tournaments. He is yet to reach the second week of a major with his best run being to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
“You don’t win the Grand Slams by thinking about what might be ahead. You think about one match at a time and that’s how you compete at your best,” Zverev told hopmancup.com.
“The Grand Slams are the biggest stage. It’s the reason why I play. That’s why we all play. That’s why we work hard in the off-season. That’s what every kid dreams of, playing in and winning Grand Slams.”
Scoring seven wins over six different top 10 players in 2017, few can dispute Zverev’s talent on the tour. Many have already tipped him to be the next superstar of the men’s game after the era of the big four comes to an end. An unsurprising occurrence considering he is at least four years younger than any other player currently ranked in the top 10.
Zverev will start his new season at the Hopman Cup alongside Angelique Kerber. It was at the exhibition event last year where he edged out Federer in three close tiebreakers. For some the tournament is a chance to settle into the new season and have fun. On the other hand, Zverev has no plans to take it easy.
“I love coming back here. It’s my third year now. The city is awesome and I’ve been to a few beaches and I’ve really enjoyed my time here.” He said.
“But now it’s time to focus. The Australian Summer is about to start and there are a few big tournaments coming up. It’s time to get to work.”
Not complacent with the achievements he has already achieved, the German is eager to improve his performance further. Zverev is currently coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero. A former world No.1 who won the 2003 French Open.
“I’m happy with my improvement and how I’ve progressed. But at the same time I don’t want to stop here, I have new goals and want to keep improving.” He stated.
Aiming to break new ground in 2018, Zverev takes his inspiration from a group of players that are also his biggest rivals on the tour.
“Roger [Federer] plays and practices like it’s a Grand Slam final every time. He works to his absolute limit. That’s why guys like him, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray are the best players in the world,” he explained.
The Hopman Cup will get underway on Saturday.
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