Andrea Petkovic and Rennae Stubbs have been discussing Alexander Zverev on their latest podcast.
The two sought to find out what it is that has seen the German struggle to close out major titles, despite being such a prolific and ever-present figure within them and the top ten.
Outlining two key problems, the solution is hardly an easy one.
But what is it that Petkovic and Stubbs feel Zverev must do to take that next step in his career? We take a closer look…
What Andre Petkovic and Rennae Stubbs said about Alexander Zverev
It was Petkovic who first moved them on to that subject, citing a question she had been posed by many journalists in her homeland.
A former world number nine, she is hardly well-placed to detail what it takes to deliver a Grand Slam victory considering she never won one herself.
However, the 36-year-old’s insight into the mindset and struggles of a professional player is priceless, as she first told Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast: ‘A few German journalists asked me ‘What do you think is still lacking for Alexander Zverev to win?’ And I said a similar thing that you said now, I said first of all he has the diabetes. That’s a challenge. A physical challenge for a man that has to play a best-of-five match. That’s definitely there.
‘But it’s interesting because I feel like to win a Grand Slam there is a little mental obstacle that you have to overcome and it feels once you overcome that you can win any Slam.
‘You know, after that you go to a slam and you’re like ‘I can win this.’ And he hasn’t overcome that yet, and we saw that the two matches where he was up two sets to love were the US Open final and the semi-final at the Australian Open against Daniil Medvedev.
‘So clearly he hasn’t quite overcome that mental obstacle yet.’
Stubbs, the host, would reply: ‘No, and until he does it he won’t. The hardest thing to do is something you’ve never done before. So that will be an issue for him going forward forever.’
Alexander Zverev continues to fall at the final hurdle
Zverev is one of many throughout this generation to have been plagued by the man that is Novak Djokovic.
His monopoly over the sport’s elite honours has proven detrimental for so many young upstarts seeking to exert their will on tennis, but that’s not to suggest that the 26-year-old has not enjoyed success.
With 21 career titles, an Olympic Gold Medal and two wins in the ATP Tour Finals too, he has showcased his penchant for the big occasion.
But, as Petkovic notes, when it comes to Grand Slams he cannot surpass the mental barrier.
Reaching the semi-final of Roland-Garros three times, the Australian Open twice and the final of the US Open, none has ended in success.
And that’s without mentioning the manner in which he has thrown away leads due to his internal fragilities.
There is clearly an outstanding player there, as Nick Kyrgios outlined last month, but whilst he retains that weakness, players will continue to exploit it in the big moments.
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