Alexander Zverev has immediately bounced back from his Australian Open final loss to Jannik Sinner by winning his opener at the Argentina Open.
Zverev has been tipped to win the French Open after his run to the final in Melbourne, where he was beaten in straight sets by defending champion Sinner.
ATP number two Zverev congratulated Sinner on the win, with the German losing a third career Grand Slam final.
But Zverev is back on the court and back to winning ways, having beaten Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-4 in the Argentina Open round of 16.
The German now meets home favourite Francisco Cerundolo in the quarter-finals, with the latter having just knocked out his brother Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Alexander Zverev still asks tournament organisers to let him train longer
Zverev’s coach and father Alexander Zverev Sr. has now shared insight into his son’s successful career, having been a player himself along with his wife Irina, while Alexander’s brother Mischa is also a former professional.
Asked how their experiences have shaped their approach to coaching their sons, Zverev Sr. told the ATP Tour website: “It was not easy to train Mischa and Sascha (Alexander), or better to say, it was not so easy to finish a training session because Mischa could not end practice unless the last point was perfect.
“He always wanted to play very well [until] the last point, the last shot, and sometimes it lasted for 20-30 minutes.
“Sascha’s relationship with training when he was very young was that it was very difficult for him to leave the court, he just started crying that he also wants to play more, ‘I still want to train’.
“Even now, already one of the leading players in the world, he sometimes ends a night session at half past eleven or midnight and asks the tournament organisers to let him play after the match for another 30-40 minutes.
“If specifically about training with Mischa and Sascha, I’ve always been with them and it is very easy to train them. If they go out on the court, they do everything 100 per cent, to the best of their abilities.”
Alexander Zverev successful by doing everything ‘100 per cent’
Mischa reached world number 25 and clinched four doubles titles before calling time on his career in 2023, with the 37-year-old now a regular on tour with his brother and dad.
Alexander Zverev meanwhile boasts 23 ATP Tour titles, and is currently behind only Sinner in the world rankings.
Another strong season is now on the cards for the German, with his father firmly believing hard work has been crucial to his rise.
“The key to success not only in sports but also in any other profession is good and honest work,” said Zverev Sr.
“If he goes out on the court, it doesn’t matter on the court or in the gym, he always does everything 100 per cent. I think this is the main key to success and thanks to this he is now standing where he is.”
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