Actually nobody had given him a chance, too dominant was final opponent Novak Djokovic last. But Alexander Zverev disproved all expert tips in London on Sunday evening.
It was the second big memorable moment in this crazy tennis year 2018, and he also played in London, like Angelique Kerber’s Wimbledon triumph about five months ago. But he was even more unexpected, much more surprising, much more amazing, Alexander Zverev’s furious attack on the World Cup throne, the almost unbelievable success over Novak Djokovic, the last lonely world number one. Against all expectations, against all expert tips, against the actual balance of power, Zverev swung up with the historic 6:4, 6:4 victory over the 31-year-old Serb to the new king in the O2 Arena, the sensation world champion.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I would love to hold on to this moment for all eternity,” said Zverev, who had fallen to the ground after the match point had been taken, overwhelmed by his emotions. At exactly 8.44 pm Zverev lifted the trophy in the confetti rain and thanked Djokovic ironically, if not truthfully, during his charming speech for “letting me win today”. Emotionally, Zverev thanked his father Alexander sr., the “best coach in the world”: “I owe him everything I am.”
It was a victory with record character on all levels, this biggest German tennis star hour for men in the new century: Zverev was the first German winner since Boris Becker, only the third German after Becker and Michael Stich. But one thing he was above all: The youngest winner of all times, younger as champion than Federers Djokovics, Sampras, Becker and Co. before him and of course younger than his own coach Ivan Lendl, who was serially the best at the end of the season of the best in the 80s.
The fact of this triumph was less impressive, less than fascinating. But how he played, fought and was brought to a good end against the house high favorite. Zverev was the better man in almost all aspects of this duel, which offered excitement and class from the first minutes. The young German, who was considered a blatant outsider, was the aggressor on the pitch; he continued consistently, which had already helped him to win the semi-final against Roger Federer the day before. And as in that duel with the maestro that had given him a boost for self-confidence, Zverev wasn’t too sorry to go into the long, gruelling baseline duels with the movement artist from Belgrade. Thus Zverev also managed something that none of the other World Cup players had managed so far: to make Djokovic doubt and brood, to rob him of his aura of inviolability.
Zverev was the first to strike at eye level in the fight. At the score of 4:4 he got a break against Djokovic, it was also the first service loss in the whole tournament for the Capitano. After that, the 18,000 spectators in the arena and millions worldwide saw a spectacle of the special kind: serving up for the set, Zverev served three aces into the series and then also won round number one with 6:4.
Zverev remained stubbornly on it, did not take a rest. In the first game of the second set he managed to break again. After the first mistake, the Serbian’s 1:1 rebreak, he again took the serve of Djokovics, went 2:1 in the lead. He then defended this lead until the 6:3 victory, the hardly possible World Cup coup. “He was the deserved winner. Unfortunately, much better than in our group game.”
As a man for the future, Zverev announced himself in the present more impressively than ever before, during his guest appearance on the prominent World Cup stage. While his contemporaries were still dueling last weekend at the NextGen Championships, Zverev was already playing the leading role at the World Championships of the greats. The victory in the semi-final against Federer, then all the more the final triumph also relieved Zverev of the stigma of not having his nerves under control on the really important occasions in his profession and being able to raise his level.
Zverev has already clearly formulated the big goal for the coming year, he wants and must play better in the Grand Slams. In tournaments that define the actual weight and status of a player in world tennis. “I am confident that this will work out,” said Zverev during the World Cup week in London, at the last tournament of the 2018 season. The World Cup gave Zverev a strong tailwind, it was also just the beginning of a promising partnership with supercoach Ivan Lendl. Together they could create turbulence in the tennis hierarchy in the coming season – right at the top. Where Zverev’s going. With the claim to be the best.