Alexander Zverev will ‘let the results come’ as he aims for his first Grand Slam title

PARIS – Alexander Zverev said he will “let the results come to me” as he sets his sights on winning the first Grand Slam trophy of his career in 2025.

The 27-year-old German won the Paris Masters on November 3, defeating France’s Hugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to claim the seventh ATP 1000 title of his career.

However, the new world number two has not won any of the four tennis majors, finishing second at the 2024 French Open and 2020 US Open.

“Of course I have goals. The goals are quite obvious to everyone. For me now it’s about improving my game. And the results, I will let the results come to me,” the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist said on November 3.

“I can’t force results. I didn’t come here this week thinking, “Oh, I definitely want to win this tournament.” No, I want to be better, I want to be better. It’s a months-long process and hopefully by next year I’ll be better.”

Since injuring his ankle in the Roland Garros semi-finals in 2022, Zverev’s return to the top has been slow.

During this time, the title of Grand Slam kings was taken over by world number one Jannik Sinner and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. The duo shared two Grand Slam titles each in 2024, with Alcaraz beating Zverev in five sets at the French Open in June.

However, Zverev, who also won the Rome Open Masters title in May, had 66 match wins on 3 November, overtaking Sinner as the player with the most wins in a year and displacing Alcaraz as world number two.

According to the German, to reach the top rank, you will need to win majors.

“It’s very difficult to be number one in the world without winning a Grand Slam. I would have had a chance in 2022 if I hadn’t gotten injured,” he said.

“To become number one in the world, you need to win Grand Slam tournaments. Now I am the second racket in the world, but 3000 points separate me from Yannick. Without Grand Slams and without Grand Slam points, this is no longer possible.”

Zverev will compete in the ATP Finals in Turin from November 10-17, where he will compete for a third title in the season-ending tournament bringing together the world’s eight best players.

“This is a special tournament. It’s such a special atmosphere and feeling when you’re there and there are only eight players from all over the world. Everyone wants to win this title and play good tennis,” he said.

Meanwhile, Croatia and Argentina have secured the final two places in the third United Cup mixed team tournament to be held in Sydney and Perth early next season, organizers said on November 4.

Donna Vekic and Borna Coric will lead Croatia for the third year in a row at the US$10 million ($13.2 million) tournament, taking on the United States and Canada in Group A, while Argentina will take on hosts Australia and Great Britain in the group. F.

“Honestly, this is my favorite tournament of the year. We have great energy on our team. Borna has been my friend for over 20 years. It feels like a small family. We are not a team, we are a family,” Vekic, who won a silver medal in singles at the Paris Olympics, said in a press release.

Argentina, which missed out on the 2023 United Cup after competing in the first edition, boasts Tomas Martin Echeverry and Nadia Podoroska as their best players.

The tournament will begin on December 27, and the final will be held in Sydney on January 5. AFP, REUTERS