Over and over in his mind, Alexander Zverev has retraced the heartbreak he suffered last year in New York, when he became the first player in Open era history to squander a two-sets-to-love lead in a US Open final, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6, to Dominic Thiem.
“I'm 23 years old,” the dejected German said at the time. “I don't think it's my last chance. I do believe that I will be a Grand Slam champion at some point.”
Fast forward 52 weeks, and here comes another opportunity for Zverev. The German is riding a world-beating 16-match winning streak that includes a takedown of world No.1 Novak Djokovic at the Tokyo Olympics, as he prepares to meet the Serb again in semifinal action on Friday at Flushing Meadows.
Watch: Djokovic vs. Zverev, SF Preview
The old adage says that life is not about what happens to you, but how you react to what happens to you, and Zverev embodies it well. He deserves nothing but credit for picking up the pieces after a defeat that could have pushed him into a spiritual freefall. Instead of hanging his head, the now-24-year-old has lifted his game to new heights in 2021. The 6-foot-6 German has turned his wobbly serveーonce considered his biggest liabilityーinto a world-class weapon, and is now considered the biggest threat to end Djokovic’s quest for the Grand Slam.
“I think in a way it fueled gas into the fire a little bit because I was two points away from winning it,” Zverev told the press prior to the tournament, referring to his near miss in 2020. “I practiced on Arthur Ashe a couple times. There are still memories there. I still remember it, and I still have that in the back of my mind.”
Zverev’s struggles on serve were well-documented in 2020. Completely devoid of confidence, the German was racking up double-digit double faults with stunning regularity. He’s a completely different player in that regard in 2021. Zverev has tossed in just 15 double faults in five matches at this year’s US Open and he leads all four men’s singles semifinalists in percentage of service games held (94 percent) and unreturned second serves (26 percent) through five rounds.
Watch: Zverev vs. Harris, QF Highlights
“I've said it before, the serve is the shot I've spent the most time on, it's the shot that I've got to practice the most,” Zverev said, implying that he’s always done the work but things have only recently started to click. “At some point I feel like, if you work very hard, you're doing the right things, it will come together. Maybe that's what's happening right now.”
The dramatic difference in that element of his game has freed up Zverev in other areas. He’s a wrecking ball from the baseline, packing jaw-dropping power off both wings, and he has gradually become an elite returner.
In past Grand Slams, Zverev has been his own worst enemy, getting sucked into energy sapping five-setters in the first week and sabotaging his own chances in the later rounds by doing so, but this year Zverev has been remarkably efficient in New York, dropping just one set and spending only nine hours and 23 minutes on court through the quarterfinals, which is four-and-a-half hours less than the 13:52 that Djokovic has needed to reach the semis.
Toss in the magic ingredientーconfidenceーand it is easy to see why some believe Zverev could prove to be Djokovic’s kryptonite in New York.
The World No.1 and 20-time major champion lost out on his quest to win the Golden Slam at the hands of Zverev in Tokyo, and he is wary of the German’s bristling game.
“I just started to doubt my shots a bit,” Djokovic said of the three-set loss to Zverev in the Olympic semifinals. “He started to read my serve well. He has a tremendous serve. He got a lot of free points on his service games. Next thing you know he won it. He won it comfortably in the end.”
Watch: 2020 US Open Final, Zverev vs. Thiem
Zverev hopes that his run to Olympic glory will prove to be a springboard to Slam success, much in the same fashion that winning the Gold medal fueled Andy Murray’s run to the US Open title in 2012. The Brit, who had famously lost his first four major finals, stormed past Roger Federer to win Olympic gold at the London Games in 2012. A month later he was on his knees inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, soaking up applause as he became the first British man to win a major singles title since 1936.
Zverev doesn’t hesitate when asked about the significance of his gold medal.
“It's the Olympics, he says. “Winning there against the world No. 1, especially that I was down a set and a breakーbeing kind of out of the match, then coming backーit was different than the other matches.”
Zverev owns a 3-6 lifetime record against the Serb, and has lost both meetings against him at the Grand Slams, but the win at Tokyo ranks high in his mind. He may be the underdog when he takes the court against one of the greatest to ever play the game, but he’ll be buoyed by belief thanks to his Tokyo surprise.
“This year it seems like nobody can beat him in a big match, nobody can beat him at the Grand Slams,” he said. “I feel like I was the first player to beat him in a very big match this year.
That does give you something. To any person it would give you something.”
