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One spot remains up for grabs at the inaugural tournament

South Korean Hyeon Chung and Russian Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday became the latest players to qualify for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals, the eight-player tournament, to be held 7-11 November in Milan at the Fiera Milano, following the withdrawal of Alexander Zverev of Germany. The final remaining spot will be awarded to the winner of an Italian qualifying event, consisting of the best 21-and-under Italian players, which finishes on 5 November.
Chung and Medvedev will join Russians Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov, Canadian Denis Shapovalov, American Jared Donaldson and Croatian Borna Coric at the innovative new event that will feature a series of rule changes. All seven players have featured this year in the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.
World No. 5 Zverev announced that he would withdraw from the tournament to focus his energies on the Nitto ATP Finals, which begins just one day after the Next Gen ATP Finals concludes. The 20-year-old German is the youngest player in 10 years to qualify for the prestigious season finale, to be held 12-19 November at The O2 in London.
"I have consulted with my team and in order to best prepare for London, we have made the decision that it is best not to play the week before in Milan," said Zverev. "Therefore, sadly, I will be withdrawing from the Next Gen ATP Finals, however I still plan on making an appearance at the beginning of the event to support the tournament and show my appreciation for my fans in Italy that were so supportive during my win in Rome earlier this year."
Rublev, who qualified for Milan last week, has enjoyed a breakout season on the ATP World Tour. The 20-year-old Moscow native exploded onto the scene in July, when, as a lucky loser, he won five consecutive matches to win his maiden ATP World Tour title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. He currently sits at a career-high No. 35 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
"I'm really happy and I'm really excited to play in Milan," said Rublev. "I worked hard this year and I've had some great results."
His countryman Khachanov celebrated his first ATP World Tour title a year ago at the Chengdu Open and has followed that memorable finish with deep runs all season. The 6' 6” right-hander has reached four ATP World Tour quarter-finals. He also advanced to the semi-finals of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle (l. to Federer).
Canada's Shapovalov has spent the past few months shattering his goals for the year. The 18-year-old left-hander sprinted through the Coupe Rogers draw in Montreal in August, beating Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal before falling in the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-finals to Zverev. Weeks later, Shapovalov, playing at his first US Open, advanced past then-World No. 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and reached the fourth round in New York.
"Only eight guys get the privilege to play such a prestigious event. So I’m going to enjoy myself and try to do the best I can,” said Shapovalov.
Donaldson of the U.S. has put together one of the most consistent seasons of any #NextGenATP player. The American made the fourth round at the Miami Open presented by Itau and later advanced to the third round at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. His best finishes, however, have come during the past two months, with quarter-final runs at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and at the Chengdu Open in China.
Coric has celebrated some of his biggest wins during the 2017 season, his third on tour. The Croatian captured his maiden ATP World Tour title in April at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, saving five championship points against German Philipp Kohlschreiber. At the Mutua Madrid Open, the Zagreb native picked up the biggest win of his career by knocking off then-World No. 1 Andy Murray.
South Korea's Chung reached a career-high of No. 44 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in September, a few weeks after making his third quarter-final of the season at the Winston-Salem Open. Chung also advanced to the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (l. to Nadal), an ATP World Tour 500 event, and his first ATP World Tour semi-final at the BMW Open by FWU in Munich (l. to Pella).
Medvedev rounded out the direct qualification field and made it a trio of Russians to qualify for Milan. The Moscow native burst out of the gates to start the year, reaching the final of the Aircel Chennai Open (l. to Bautista Agut). Medvedev has made steady progress throughout the year as well, advancing to six ATP World Tour quarter-finals and a semi-final at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.

Just 20 years old, Alexander Zverev is the youngest qualifier at the Nitto ATP Finals since Juan Martin Del Potro’s appearance at the 2008 season finale. Simon Briggs of The Daily Telegraph looks at the fast rise of a German who has been spoken of as a future No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

At the start of the year, Alexander Zverev would have been on most people’s lists to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, the experimental 21-and-under tournament that was held in Milan last week for the first time. But Zverev himself had other ideas. Sure, it would be good to prove himself the best player in his age-group. But why stop there?

With his 130 miles per hour serve, his ferocious hitting off the ground, and the long-legged athleticism that would put many a basketball player to shame, why shouldn’t Zverev stand among the best players of the world, period? In other words, why should he restrict himself to the 21-and-under version, when he had a decent shot at competing in the Nitto ATP Finals as well? There was certainly no bashfulness on this front from Zverev himself. The 6’6” German has been tipped for years as a future No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings – a diagnosis he himself is happy to go along with.

If Zverev possesses uncanny self-confidence, this may have something to do with his background. His parents, who hail from Russia, are tennis lifers who built his game from scratch. And his brother Mischa has been a tour player since 2005. Even as a small child, Alexander – or Sascha, as his family call him – was there at the side of the court, gripping his cut-down racquet and waiting for his turn once the big boys had finished.

“Sascha was mentally a little bit better prepared for the tennis tour,” said Sascha’s father, Zverev Snr., when asked recently to compare the brothers. “For Mischa, everything was new. But when Sascha was six years old, for example, Djokovic was 15 or 16. Djokovic was at the same tournament and he was playing with Sascha a little bit, maybe tennis or football.”

Alexander Zverev Snr., known to the family and back-up team simply as “Papa”, was a player of real talent in his own right. Born in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, he represented Russia 36 times in the Davis Cup, claiming victories over such familiar names as Miloslav Mecir and Vijay Amritraj. But he wasn’t able to travel regularly to tournaments because of the political climate.

In 1991, the Zverevs moved to Hamburg, where Alexander Jnr. was born in 1997. As the baby became a toddler, Papa found most of his time taken up by Mischa, who is almost 10 years older. So it was the boys’ mother Irina – inevitably known as “Mama” – who constructed her younger son’s game. “My father is my coach,” Zverev puts it, “but when I was younger my mother was guiding me more. I think I have pretty good technique, which my Mum did at a young age so credit to her for that. My backhand, in particular, is 100 per cent down to my Mum.”

This may explain the dramatic contrast between the two sons’ styles. Mischa is a throwback, coming to the net on every point behind his lefty serve. Sascha is right-handed and almost allergic to the volley, the one part of his game that his father admits he needs to brush up on. From the back of the court, though, he is relentless off both wings. The forehand is heavy and versatile, and the backhand is technically flawless – a two-hander that resembles Novak Djokovic’s in its consistency, yet travels at greater speed. Combine that with the loping, almost effortless lateral movement across the baseline – which he is able to cover in a couple of giant strides – and he makes an intimidating prospect for anyone.

Zverev was still only 19 when he won his first ATP World Tour title, in St Petersburg, just over a year ago, by overcoming Tomas Berdych and Stan Wawrinka in successive matches. And that breakthrough seemed to flick a switch. From the beginning of this season, he has been mopping up the trophies: Montpellier, Munich, Rome, Washington D.C. and Montreal. And the most significant element in that series is Rome, where he defeated Djokovic in the final to become the youngest winner of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in 10 years (since Djokovic himself). By beating Roger Federer in the Montreal final he became the first player outside the ‘Big Four’ to win multiple Masters 1000 titles in the same season since David Nalbandian in 2007.

Another of Zverev’s remarkable assets is his physical resilience. Zverev might still look like a baby giraffe, his stretched-out limbs suggesting a lack of steadiness, but this is an optical illusion. In fact, he has been training with Jez Green – formerly Andy Murray’s fitness guru – since he was 16 to make sure he could withstand the pummeling of year-round tennis.

As you can see, Zverev has been one step ahead of the game since the very beginning. Clearly, he possesses all the natural attributes, including an eye as sharp as a raptor’s, and the cussed nature that has always driven him to fight until the last point. But he has also been steered to perfection by his family, his agent Patricio Apey (who also used to work with Murray) and the rest of his backroom staff.

In August, Zverev finally brought in an outside coach for the first time. His choice was Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former World No. 1, whom he described as “such an easy guy to be around”. One suspects, though, that Ferrero is there to offer experience more than technical guidance. The only thing that Alexander Zverev Snr. lacks is the first-hand knowledge of what it is like to land major titles.

“I think my dad might be one of the best family coaches of all time,” Zverev has said. “He has two sons who are in the Top 25 in the world... with two completely different game styles. That’s not easy to do. You’ve got to be very smart, you’ve got to know what to practise and what to teach... Our practice sessions are completely different. I think no other coach has done that, to bring two players from scratch, absolute zero to the Top 25 in the world. So I think he really is one of the greatest coaches of all time.”

Only time will tell whether Alexander Zverev Jnr. will deliver on all the extraordinary predictions that have been made about him. What we do know, though, is that he couldn’t have got off to a better start.

Zverev makes his Nitto ATP Finals debut as the No.3 seed
At just 20 years old, Alexander Zverev is having a season that most players would dream of.
His impressive 2017 resume: five titles, two of which were claimed at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Rome (d. Djokovic) and Montreal (d. Federer); a Top 5 debut in the Emirates ATP Rankings; and six wins over Top 10 opposition.
“I’ve had a great season, winning two Masters is special for any player. Especially [since] the Big Four have been dominating that level,” said Zverev. “Nobody has won two [Masters 1000 titles] in one year for over 10 years outside those Big Four, so that’s a great achievement for me.”
The German wunderkind might be ahead of his pack for the age, but helms a long-awaited wave of fresh talent, which includes the likes of Andrey Rublev and Hyeon Chung, who face off for the trophy at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan Saturday.
“I think the young guys are all doing great,” said Zverev on the progress of his generation of up-and-comers. “We have a lot of them in the Top 50 now, which is a great achievement for them as well. I’ve played against a few of them, which all have been fantastic matches and they’re also improving a lot. Obviously I’m a bit higher ranked and have won more tournaments than them, but they’re coming up strong as well.”
Zverev, who became the youngest player since Juan Martin del Potro to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals when he reached the semi-finals in Beijing, spoke about the unique and lavish treatment that the players receive at the pristigeous year-end event, as well as the thrilling atmosphere he looks forward to playing in when the round robin stage gets underway on Sunday.
“I think this is a different tournament compared to any other one. This is even a bit different of a tournament for us than the Grand Slams. I think we get very special treatment here. Everything is done for the players. The backstage, the locker rooms and the restaurant area; everything is unbelievably managed for us and everybody is so friendly.
“We’re all excited to play inside of the stadium as well because the stadium is very special for all of us,” Zverev added. “The atmosphere is awesome because in an indoor event the atmosphere is always a bit louder, a bit more electric than anywhere else. We have great stadiums at the US Open and at Wimbledon obviously, but I think this one is even more special."
Chasing legends such as Federer and Rafael Nadal certainly isn’t easy for the #NextGenATP stars, but Zverev has risen to the task, defeating Federer twice in his career and pushing Nadal to five sets in an exciting third-round thriller at the Australian Open earlier this year. Although they present his most serious challenge at the Nitto ATP Finals this week, his admiration for the two remains steadfast.
“I think Roger and Rafa have been playing the best tennis of their lives this year. I really think that especially Roger, how he was playing on the faster surfaces, was amazing,” Zverev remarked. “It’s quite amazing how he is able to play at 36 years old – not saying that he’s old or anything! But what he’s doing on the tennis court is amazing.
“All of us young guys are working quite hard and we’re all trying to maybe replace them a little bit. This is what we’re all working toward, to win the biggest tournaments in the world.”

Coach Ferrero confident Nitto ATP Finals will be pivotal to Zverev's growth

As someone who has witnessed first-hand Alexander Zverev's growth in the span of a year, coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has no doubt that his pupil is experiencing a breakthrough moment at this year's Nitto ATP Finals. Sunday's opening round win over Marin Cilic is just a preview of what's to come from the 20-year-old, both this week and beyond, according to the Spaniard.

"What we are witnessing is a before and after for Sascha," said Ferrero. The former Emirates ATP Rankings No.1 came on board as a coach alongside the #NextGenATP star's father, Alexander Sr., over the summer. "His experience this week in London will come in handy; he's learning how to handle himself during these types of events. That's essential to his growth."

Zverev showed signs of what was to come back in January when the German, ranked No. 24 at the time, pushed eventual finalist Rafael Nadal to five sets in a losing effort in the third round of the Australian Open. A few weeks later, Zverev claimed his first championship of the year by outlasting the likes of Jeremy Chardy, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet en route to the Open Sud de France title in Montpellier. His breakthrough into the Emirates ATP Rankings Top 10 came at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Rome, where Zverev defeated Novak Djokovic in the final, becoming the youngest Masters 1000 titlist since a 19-year-old Djokovic won the Miami Open presented by Itau in 2007.

After winning five titles in 2017, Zverev's season comes to an end with a loss against Sock
Expectations have long followed Alexander Zverev, with few people doubting that he is destined for stardom on the ATP World Tour. So it wasn’t a complete shock that the 20-year-old German soared up the Emirates ATP Rankings from No. 24 at the end of last year to third in the world now. His five titles and two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies (Rome, Montreal) this season cemented his status as one of the sport’s best.
But Zverev did not finish his 2017 on a high note. He advanced to just one semi-final in his final seven tournaments of the year. And when playing Jack Sock on Thursday evening for a spot in the final four of the Nitto ATP Finals, Zverev let slip a break in the third set, failling to the American. Zverev was brutally honest about the loss.
“I choked,” Zverev said. “Won the second set 6-1. I was 1-0 [in the third set] with a break. He got a point penalty. I was down 1-4 within 10 minutes where I didn't put many balls in the court. When I got back at 4-5, that's one of the worst games I think I played all year. So, yeah, I just choked.”
Early in the third set, it seemed that Sock was unraveling, not Zverev. The eighth seed launched his second ball of the night into the stands after getting broken to begin the set, earning himself a point penalty. On the other side of the court, Zverev was emoting positively and seemingly in a rhythm from the baseline.
And then he wasn’t. One lapse of concentration was all it took, as he handed the break back to Sock. And while the third seed managed to get back on serve later in the set, an ugly double fault, which Zverev described as “about a 19 mile-an-hour serve that I hit in the bottom of the net” gave the 25-year-old across from him match point, which Sock would not waste.
“I found my rhythm again in the middle of the third set. I got the break back. I started to play I feel like better until the game of 4-5,” Zverev said. “That was one of the worst games I think I played [this year], not only in this match.”
But nevertheless, the stinging defeat does not take away from the tall right-hander’s success this season. He became the youngest in the Top 3 of the rankings since Novak Djokovic (20) in 2007 and also the youngest player to win five or more titles in a single year since Djokovic, also in 2007. The last German to accomplish those feats was Boris Becker. Djokovic has won 12 Grand Slam titles, and Becker six.
So sure, Zverev is happy with the progress he has made. But he is not happy with his close to the season.
“It's been an awesome year,” Zverev said. “Still, the end of the year was absolute crap for me. If I would have played the whole year like I did, by the end of the year I don't think I would have finished Top 50.”
It is said that many people are their own toughest critics. Sock had nothing but positive things to say about Zverev’s performance this year.
“The guy is 20 years old. He's played some absolutely outstanding tennis in his career. I mean, can't even legally drink a beer in the U.S. and he's three in the world, playing like he is,” Sock said. “ It could be the expectations for him, as well. Obviously with the tennis he's played, not only this year, but the start of his career, he could go out there and expect himself to play a certain way.”
Now, Zverev will have an opportunity to work on his game so that next year, he will not only be able to raise his level, but maintain it consistently. He will be going to the Maldives for his brother Mischa’s wedding, and then getting right back to work.
“I'm going to do three weeks of physical [training] again, then start tennis, just do all the basic stuff again,” Zverev said. “ try to get back to where I was [at the] beginning of the year, try to maybe improve even more.”
As for his sour final match to close what was an extremely impressive 2017, Zverev had no excuses.
“It was just nerves, nerves getting in the way,” Zverev said. “They got the better of me.”

World Number 4 Alexander Zverev has signed a three-year contract to play the Gerry Weber Open in Halle until 2020 after finishing runner-up to Florian Mayer in 2016 and to Roger Federer in 2017. The next edition of the Gerry Weber Open will take place in Halle from 16th to 24th June 2018.

“I cannot wait to go back to Halle. It’s one of my favourite tournaments My family and my team feel at home in Halle. I hope to have the chance to reach the final for the second consecutive time next year”, said Zverev.



Zverev won five titles in his breakthrough season in 2017 (two Masters 1000 in Rome and Montreal) Washington, Munich, Montpellier) and was the first German player to qualify for the ATP Finals in London since Rainer Shuettler in 2003.

“It’s the best news for all German fans. Zverev is one of the greatest stars on the world tennis stage”, said Gerry Weber.

So far Zverev has signed to play in the Grand Slam tournaments, the Masters 1000 events, the Hopman Cup (where she will team up with Angelique Kerber), Rotterdam and Acapulco.

Zverev adds his name to the impressive line-up of players which features Roger Federer, who won eight titles in Halle and has signed a life contract to play in the Gerry Weber Open until the end of his career.

“I have already spoken to Roger. He said that he is open to any of our ideas. We would like to do charity show matches with him. He is the most impressive player personality in our history”, said Halle Tournament Director Gerry Weber.

Boris Becker jest zdania, że Niemcy znów mogą być liczącą się nacją w męskim tenisie. Liderem nowej fali zawodników zza naszej zachodniej granicy ma być Alexander Zverev.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
09 Grudnia 2017, 09:50
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Getty Images / Clive Brunskill / Na zdjęciu: Alexander Zverev

Boris Becker od sierpnia działa w strukturach Niemieckiego Związku Tenisowego (DTB). Sześciokrotny mistrz wielkoszlemowy ma za zadanie służyć radą i doświadczeniem młodszym rodakom oraz wyszukiwać potencjalne gwiazdy niemieckiego tenisa.

Marin Cilić zakończył współpracę z legendą. Jonas Bjoerkman nie będzie pomagał Chorwatowi

Becker wyraził nadzieję, że po słabszych latach Niemcy znów będą liczącą się nacją w męskim tenisie. Uważa, że w jego ojczyźnie jest wielu utalentowanych tenisistów.

- Poziom tenisa w naszym kraju jest bardzo dobry - powiedział Becker w rozmowie z "Tennis Magazin". - Ale jeśli będziemy mieć większy budżet, będziemy mogli w większym stopniu promować tenis wśród młodych ludzi i zatrudnić więcej trenerów. Znalezienie sponsora to jedno z zadań w mojej pracy.

Najlepszym niemieckim tenisistą jest aktualnie Alexander Zverev. 20-latek z Hamburga zakończył sezon 2017 na czwartym miejscu w rankingu ATP. Becker nie ma wątpliwości, że stać go na jeszcze więcej i w przyszłości może dać naszym zachodnim sąsiadom wiele powodów do dumy.

- Ten rok był dla Saschy punktem zwrotnym. Ale kolejny będzie trudniejszy. Musi potwierdzić swój poziom. Rywale coraz lepiej go znają i wiedzą, jaką obrać taktykę na mecze z nim. Biorąc pod uwagę jego wyniki w turniejach wielkoszlemowych, miejsce, jakie zajmuje, jest dużym sukcesem. On może się jeszcze bardzo poprawić. Czas biegnie na jego korzyść. Ale nie należy się spodziewać, że w ciągu pół roku stanie się liderem rankingu. To nierealne - mówił 50-latek z Leimen.

Alexander Zverev będzie jedną z gwiazd nadchodzącej edycji Pucharu Hopmana. Niemiec uważa, że występ w Perth to idealne przygotowanie do wielkoszlemowego Australian Open.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
24 Grudnia 2017, 17:44
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Getty Images / Naomi Baker / Na zdjęciu: Alexander Zverev
- Uwielbiam przyjeżdżać do Perth, dlatego ponownie postanowiłem, że właśnie tutaj rozpocznę sezon. Zawsze, kiedy tutaj inaugurowałem rozgrywki, miałem udany sezon, więc mam nadzieję, że nadchodzący rok będzie dla mnie jeszcze lepszy od mijającego - powiedział Alexander Zverev w rozmowie z oficjalnym portalem Pucharu Hopmana.


Roger Federer zaczynał sezon 2017 z obawami. "Nie byłem pewien, czy kiedykolwiek wrócę na dawny poziom"
Dla Niemca będzie to trzeci start w nieoficjalnych mistrzostwach świata par mieszanych. W 2016 roku w duecie z Sabiną Lisicką odpadł w grupie, podobnie jak w sezonie 2017 razem z Andreą Petković. Wówczas na pocieszenie odniósł niezwykle cenne zwycięstwo, ogrywając Rogera Federera. - Mój styczniowy pojedynek z Rogerem był niesamowitym doświadczeniem. Towarzyszyła nam wspaniała publiczność, która naprawdę kocha tenis - wspominał.

W nadchodzącej edycji zawodów w Perth 20-latkowi z Hamburga będzie partnerować Andżelika Kerber. - Puchar Hopmana to idealne przygotowanie do Australian Open - ocenił reprezentant naszych zachodnich sąsiadów.

Puchar Hopmana 2018 zostanie rozegrany w dniach 30 grudnia - 6 stycznia. Niemcy wystąpią w Grupie A wraz z Australią (Thanasi Kokkinakis i Daria Gawriłowa), Kanadą (Vasek Pospisil i Eugenie Bouchard) oraz Belgią (David Goffin i Elise Mertens). Zwycięzca grupy awansuje do finału.

At a time of year when traditions are brought into a focus, Alexander “Sascha” Zverev has established a cherished routine: building the foundations for a career-best season at Mastercard Hopman Cup.

“I love it here, that’s why I always decide to start my season off here,” says Zverev, the first member of the star-studded field to arrive in Perth for the 2018 event.

“Each year that I started my season here has been a very good season, so hopefully that continues to be so and hopefully it will be even better than last year.”

A “good season” is something of an understatement for the popular German, who rose to a career-high world No.3 in a season that included two Masters trophies among five pro titles, those sparkling prizes secured with finals wins over Novak Djokovic (in Rome) and Roger Federer (in Toronto).

At age 20, progress came with a string of impressive ‘youngest-ever’ asterisks for Zverev – the youngest top three player and Masters winner since Djokovic a decade ago.

Not that anybody who’s seen Sascha compete for his nation in Perth would be surprised by such rapid progress.

Partnering Sabine Lisicki in 2016, the then 18-year-old showed glimpses of the breakthroughs to come as he pushed Nick Kyrgios to three sets in his opening singles rubber and defeated experienced Frenchman Kenny De Schepper in another.

It was in 2017, though, that Zverev’s star power came most to the fore. With Andrea Petkovic his Team Germany partner, he won two of three singles rubbers – most notably against Federer in a men’s singles classic that extended to three tiebreak sets.

Watched by 13,851 fans, the superb-quality encounter thrilled the largest-ever crowd at a Perth tennis event.

It’s unsurprising that Mastercard Hopman Cup has become such a happy tradition for the fast-rising star.

“It’s the perfect preparation to start my year ahead of the Australian Open,” says Zverev. “My match with Roger in January was an amazing experience with wonderful crowds who really love their tennis.”

Partnered by former world No.1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, Zverev will no doubt be eyeing the opportunity for an even more special experience in 2018.

Germany is two-time winners of the unique world team event but haven’t triumphed since 1995, when former No.1 Boris Becker partnered Anke Huber in a final win over Andrei Medvedev and Natalia Medvedeva of Ukraine.

Zverev has come to be mentioned often alongside Becker, having matched the German great as the first from his nation to win so many titles in a year.

It’s a sign of Sascha’s serious Hopman Cup intentions that just hours after his arrival, he’d already hit the practice courts at Perth Arena.

If laying the foundations for a stunning season in Perth is already a happy tradition, helping his nation achieve victory is one that the focused German would dearly love to add next.

Alexander Zverev nie chce mówić o swoich celach na sezon 2018, który rozpocznie występem w Pucharze Hopmana. Przyznał natomiast, że jest zadowolony z tempa, w jakim się rozwija, ale zdaje sobie sprawę, iż nadal musi ciężko pracować.


Puchar Hopmana: czas na 30. edycję turnieju. Roger Federer i Andżelika Kerber sprawdzą formę przed Australian Open
Alexander Zverev trzeci raz z rzędu nowy sezon zainauguruje występem w Pucharze Hopmana w Perth. - Uwielbiam tu wracać. Miasto jest niesamowite i zawsze naprawdę miło spędzam tu czas. Kiedy pierwszy raz tu przyjechałem, byłem na 80. miejscu na świecie. Teraz jestem numerem cztery - mówił po przylocie na miejsce.
W Pucharze Hopmana 2018 Niemiec wystąpi jako jedna z gwiazd turnieju. Będzie reprezentował swój kraj wraz z Andżeliką Kerber. - Jestem zadowolony z tempa swojego rozwoju. Przez ostatnie lata nastąpiły zmiany. Ale nie chcę na tym poprzestać. Mam swoje cele i chcę się rozwijać - ocenił.


"Praca" to słowo, które z ust tenisisty z Hamburga pada bardzo często. - Nadeszło australijskie lato, okres dużych turniejów i to jest czas, by skupić się na pracy. Roger Federer gra i trenuje tak, jakby za każdym razem rozgrywał finał turnieju wielkoszlemowego. Pracuje na swoim absolutnym limicie. Właśnie dlatego on, a także Nadal, Djoković i Murray są najlepsi na świecie.

20-latek także ma ambicje, by stać się jednym z najlepszych tenisistów globu i odnosić sukcesy w turniejach wielkoszlemowych. - Wielkie Szlemy są najważniejsze. To powód, dla którego gramy i trenujemy. Każdy dzieciak marzy o tym, by zagrać w turnieju wielkoszlemowym i wygrać go. Ale nie zwyciężysz w szlemie, jeśli będziesz rozmyślał o tym, co przed tobą. Musisz koncentrować się na każdym kolejnym meczu - wyjaśniał.

Zverev nie chciał mówić o swoich oczekiwaniach związanych z nowym sezonem. - Przed ubiegłym sezonem miałem cel, o którym nie mówiłem mediom. Chciałem zagrać w Finałach ATP World Tour. Ludzie z mojego sztabu nie twierdzili, że to niemożliwe, choć trochę się z tego śmiali. Na ten sezon też mam cel, ale zachowam go dla siebie. Nie jest on związany z pozycją w rankingu.