Alexander Zverev proved his quality once again at the end of the ATP Season by winning the Tour Finals for the second time of his career. Zverev overcame Daniil Medvedev in the final of the ATP Tour Finals in straight sets, ending the year on a high note.
However, the German must now use the momentum of his victory to break his long-standing Grand Slam drought. The 24-year-old has been on the ATP circuit since 2015, but despite boasting elite talent, he has not managed to make the leap to secure his first major even if did take secure a gold medal in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
The presence of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and their dominance of the leading events has made life difficult for players to make their mark on the grand stage. However, injuries to both Nadal and Federer have opened a pathway for the next generation to make their mark as long as they can get past Djokovic. Medvedev took his opportunity at the US Open by crushing the Serb in three sets to secure the first Grand Slam of his career.
The Russian has shown the way forward for the rising stars of the men’s game. Zverev needs to capitalise and he has proven that he has the talent to become a perennial figure in Grand Slam finals. The German is backed at 19/5 in the Space Casino betting odds to win the Australian Open, although it will be a massive challenge for Zverev considering Djokovic’s dominance of the event.
He will take a lot of heart from his performance against Djokovic in the ATP Tour Finals when he beat the Serb in three sets before defeating Medvedev in the final. The 24-year-old also played an outstanding game in the semi-finals of the US Open against the world number one. He took Djokovic all the way to a decisive fifth set where the experience of the Serb proved to be vital. However, it was a pyrrhic victory for the veteran as the exertions of his match against Zverev appeared to limit his ability to compete with Medvedev in the final. Therefore, Zverev should have no trepidation about facing off against Djokovic in Melbourne.
Medvedev will be brimming with confidence when he enters the next Slam, which is why Zverev’s victory over the Russian was vital. The German enjoyed a strong start to his head-to-head duel against Medvedev by winning their first four contests, but has since only won two of the last eight. He was on a five-match losing streak to his rival before he managed to turn the tables in Italy. Although it is not a victory at a Grand Slam, stopping a losing streak to a player that he will see in the latter stages of major tournaments for the years to come may be a vital step in the right direction.
Zverev has all the tools at his disposal to become a multiple-time Grand Slam champion, but he has to take the first step to overcome the elite players in the semi-finals and finals of competitions. Until he makes that breakthrough he cannot be held in the same esteem as Medvedev among the next generation of men’s tennis players.
