Alexander Zverev continued on his inspired rise to the top of the tennis world following a horrifying injury by beating World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the round-robin clash at ATP Finals. Sascha did not have it easy against the Wimbledon champion but he certainly did not have to toil as hard as one would be expected to against the Spaniard. But given his opponent and the fact that Zverev had an injury scare that was reminiscent of his horror injury that had kept him out for months, it was a victory that will surge his confidence further.
Having lost the opening set in a tie breaker, Zverev raised his game significantly to do to Alcaraz what the young Spaniard usually does to his opponents. Zverev had Alcaraz second-guessing himself, opting for poorly timed and executed drop shots, leaving balls he expected to go long only for him to regret his decisions.
It was almost like Alexander Zverev was channeling his inner Alcaraz to reach every ball and get it back in play. The German ended the match with many winners that were brilliantly executed, on the run that left Carlos Alcaraz baffled and smiling with helplessness.
Le passing complètement DINGUE d’Alexander Zverev dans le dernier jeu contre Carlos Alcaraz. 🤯🇩🇪pic.twitter.com/lfJZuOzrmH
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) November 13, 2023
All this despite Zverev getting his leg stuck on the turf and putting a worrisome strain on his left knee. For a moment, everyone in the stadium seemed to hold their breath as the German tumbled to the floor. Alcaraz hurried to the other side of the court but thankfully, Zverev did not take too long to alleviate the fear around the stadium and indicate he wasn’t hurt.
Zverev rolls his ankle. Is continuing to play. Flashback to the French Open pic.twitter.com/cBHRgWQe4q
— Craig Gabriel (@crosscourt1) November 13, 2023
Asked in his on-court interview whether the victory is even more significant since it came against Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev admitted it is felt nice to beat one of the best in the world. While Alcaraz is currently in a sorry run run of form, he is still a fearsome opponent to face on a tennis court.
“I mean, I get along with him well. I have no issues, but obviously, yes, it’s always nice to beat the best players in the world. He’s definitely one of them. It’s special to win on this court again.”
Two times ATP Finals champ Alexander Zverev (2018, 2021) starts his 2023 campaign with a great 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 win over #2 Carlos Alcaraz, who loses his first ever match in this event.
3rd consecutive loss for Carlitos. Pressure on his shoulders now on Wednesday… pic.twitter.com/Af2MmpSuHY
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) November 13, 2023
Alexander Zverev proving a threat following career-threatening injury
Zverev has had an inspired journey back to fitness following his ankle injury against Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the 2022 Roland Garros. Sascha was playing some of the best tennis he ever had. So much so, that even his claim of a possibility of beating the King of Clay had not seemed too far-fetched.
Oftentimes, such an injury can result in the player in question never being able to regain their form to the full extent. However, Zverev has certainly overcome the odds and pushed himself back in contention to be amongst the best in the world. Whether he can finally win a Major remains to be seen however. But as things stand, the former US Open runner-up will be happy with his progress, high on confidence and raring to go again after a day’s break.
