Zverev's Passive Play Under Fire After French Open Loss to Djokovic
Instigating physical aggression towards Djokovic in an unsportsmanlike manner, analogous to how Becker might have acted.
Zoom Tweet Whatsapp Mail Print Copy Link Alexander Zverev begins powerfully against Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarterfinals, but ultimately falters, failing to respond to Djokovic's tactics.
Legendary German tennis player Boris Becker has lashed out at Alexander Zverev's timid play following his elimination in the French Open quarterfinals. Specifically, Becker was taken aback by Zverev's reluctance to push back against Djokovic, who landed a staggering 35 (!) stop shots against him, according to official stats.
"It's also a bit disrespectful. If I were playing against a player who played the fifth stop shot, I'd hit a ball into their gut on the sixth that they'd never play a stop shot again," Becker seethed as a commentator on Eurosport. "I would have handled the ball differently - and many other players would have too."
Room for Growth
Djokovic enticed Zverev, who typically lingers far behind the baseline, to the net with stop shots. Zverev had no answer to this tactic, just as he had no response to the 38-year-old Serbian's gameplay. "At a certain point, I felt like I didn't know how to earn a point from the baseline against him," Zverev said after his latest failed bid for a Grand Slam title. "I felt like he had an answer for everything I did," he added, showering praise on Djokovic's performance.
"Against superstars like Djokovic or even Sinner and Alcaraz, you have to make the points. You have to be the one who plays more aggressively and believes in victory," Becker stated, summarizing Zverev's French Open performance negatively. "The quarterfinals here were mandatory, the semifinals were the goal, and he lost that," Becker said.
"I think he will have to think about why his entire clay court season didn't go as planned," the 57-year-old said. Zverev needs to sit down with his family and openly discuss what went wrong. What's next in Zverev's career remains to be seen, even for the defending champion. "I'm going to play golf. I have absolutely no desire to play tennis right now," Zverev declared. The next Grand Slam tournament, Wimbledon, begins in just over three weeks.
Insights
The enrichment data reveals that during the match, Zverev heavily relied on his serve with 18 out of 18 points won behind his first serve[2]. He predominantly used his backhand groundstrokes, hitting 277 backhands compared to 249 forehands[4]. However, this strategy didn't yield enough offense with his forehand, allowing Djokovic to dominate. Zverev also struggled to deal with Djokovic's drop shots, which were a crucial part of Djokovic's tactic to shorten points and create opportunities[4]. Overall, Zverev's reliance on defensive play and backhand groundstrokes limited his effectiveness against Djokovic.
[1] ntv.de, ter/dpa
[2] discoverysports.com
[3] tennishead.net
[4] atptour.com
Sports and tennis were at the heart of Alexander Zverev's French Open quarterfinals match against Novak Djokovic, with Zverev employing a passive defensive strategy that ultimately resulted in his loss. Despite a powerful start, Zverev's reliance on his backhand groundstrokes and defensive play was exploited by Djokovic's offensive tactics, including drop shots and stop shots, leading to Zverev's inability to earn points from the baseline.
