John McEnroe is a bit worried about Alexander Zverev and warns that other pros could outdo him a little.
Out in round three from New York – and then against compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber. Alexander Zverev, who was seeded in fourth place, certainly imagined his excursion to Flushing Meadows differently. And with him his new coach Ivan Lendl. While Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori play for the main prize in the Big Apple, “Sascha” has already ticked off his mixed Grand Slam year. Wipe your mouth – and on.
John McEnroe, however, was slightly worried about Zverev’s major record so far, who is still waiting for his first semi-final entry on one of the four biggest stages in world tennis. “I would be a bit worried if I was on the Zverev team right now,” said the old champion in Eurosport’s legendary vodcast.
And Big Mac put his finger in the wound. “I tried to remember a big match Sascha played at a Grand Slam. But there have not been so many big games and big victories for him in the majors so far,” criticised McEnroe (59), who nevertheless believes in the great breakthrough of 21-year-old Zverev: “I still think it will happen because these players like Rafa, Roger and Novak will not stay with him forever”. But other good up-and-coming professionals would also follow suit. So Zverev can’t rest.
Mats Wilander, however, criticised Alexander Zverev for continuing to look for his “style” on the court. “He still doesn’t know what kind of tennis he wants to play,” said the Swede, who welcomed Lendl’s commitment: “He seems to be the perfect man.
However, Wilander also made no secret of the fact that he could not understand the commitment of former Zverev coach Juan Carlos Ferrero at the time. “When you’re a young player, you walk your own path. You have to make mistakes to learn. Suddenly there was Ferrero as a coach, who is a really good coach. But there’s another voice all of a sudden,” said the 54-year-old – and that was simply difficult for Zverev at the time.