LONDON, November 17, 2017 (by Alex Norwood)

Have you come across those people that argue that Alexander Zverev’s growth in the world of tennis could be affected by his height? If the answer is yes, ask them to show you any game that does not have height as one of the advantages.

Now, the truth remains that the world of men’s tennis has always announced players to the limelight when they have grown fully well in the game. This is invariably untrue, right? Yes, because they are the people to announce themselves with their performances and not the other way round. So, it means that many tennis players have not been able to achieve great things at young age within the past years. However, here comes one player who seems to be on the line to dazzle the tennis world even at a young age.

Men’s tennis has not witnessed a rising star with fully actualized potentials like Alex. The fact remains that the big four of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have held this game to the jugular, and have not allowed any young star to actually shine. Many of youngsters do great things until they meet these four. When they do, they will be sent back to the second tier below the four. But one kid has broken this jinx, and he is Alexander Zverev who became the first player born in the 1990s to ever win a Masters 1000 title. This skinny German player only clocked 20 last April,

At that time, only a few knew his name in the world of tennis. Yes, at least, he was not among the elite players and top seeds. But his 20th birthday was not to pass without a life changing event. This did not take long to happen, as it came just one month after his birthday. It was in May that Alexander knocked out Novak Djokovic to land the Italian open title in Rome. This immediately made him the youngest player of this era to win a title at the level of the masters, which is placed directly beneath the grand slam.

The great thing about this talented youngster is that defeating one of the big four was not just enough for him. He went ahead to defeat Frances Tiafoe to jump into the Wimbledon’s third round. This cemented his position as the head of the new generation of tennis players. With his exploits in the recent past, he has written his name as one of the players that are expected to take over the stage once the big four gives way. With this, people now believe that it is not the generation directly behind the four musketeers that will take over after them, but rather the one after them. This is where Zverev belongs.

Skills

A look at his tennis game showcases a complete player. He enjoys a balance that most players lack, and off the ground on both angles, he is very solid. He is also two handed, with an excellent backhand ability. He enjoys a 6ft, 6 inches frame, but enjoys a great movement even at that. He enjoys an excellent serve, and moving closer to the net is one of his favorite styles of play. This makes the grass a better option for him anytime. Other things that are going for him at the moment include his engaging personality, his awesome competitiveness, and his enviable flowing blonde locks, winks. So, it all seems that the exit of the big four will not leave us with uneventful guys in the tennis world.

He made a bold statement again when he got up to the finals of the Halle competition. Of course, losing a final in the hands of Federer for him may as well be interpreted as a winning. At the moment, he has one title on hard court and two on clay. It was the defeat of Novak Djokovic at the Rome masters sent him to the limelight of the ATP tour.

Junior Career

A look at his past reveals that he has never gone beyond the last 32 stage in all majors he participated in. But in the Wimbledon, lies the chances for him to get all the way to the finals. But before then, he has to take out the likes of Federer, Djokovic and then Murray the defending champion.

Senior career

Zverev was born on 20th April 1997 to a former tennis player named Alexander Zverev Sr. He was ranked the number one boys player between 2013 and 2014. He played the finals of the French open juniors in 2013. He also got to the third round of the 2013 jr. Wimbledon championships and the semifinals of the 2013 jr. Us Open. He later won the 2013 jr. Australian Open. In 2013, he got to the top 100 ranking, and then the top 20 in 2015 when he won his first ATP title. He got to the top 5 in 2017 and won his first two masters.

Alexander’s Future

These have shifted the question from if he will win the grand slam to when he will win it. It is also no longer if he will later become the world’s number 1, but rather, when will he become the number 1. The future is very bright for him, but it may have to take some time before he cinches these titles. He played Federer last month at the grass court event final in Halle, and was beaten 6-1, 6-3. After the game, he joked that the big man should have allowed him some more points as a sign of mercy. Rafael in return complimented his abilities and posited that his development is amazing, and that the future belongs to him.