How Zverev ‘having the feeling’ left Humbert reeling in Paris
Did Alexander Zverev surprise even himself with the quality of his championship-match display Sunday at the Rolex Paris Masters?
Ugo Humbert had delivered a series of classy performances that channelled his stirring home support en route to the final at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris-Bercy, including against Carlos Alcaraz in the third round. The Frenchman could do nothing to counter Zverev’s charge in the title showdown, however, and Zverev raced to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph in just 75 minutes.
“No, I didn’t have a feeling it was going to be two and two, but actually from the start and from the rallies in the first games, even when I lost the rallies, I felt like the ball was [feeling good] on my racquet,” reflected Zverev in his post-match press conference. “When I have this feeling, I feel well on the court. I feel comfortable and confident, maybe being a bit more aggressive, going for more shots than I usually do.
“Against him, it was important. I think he’s one of the best players when he’s aggressive. I think he maybe struggles a bit still when he has to defend, so when I put him in a position where he has to defend, I think that’s a position where I’m comfortable and he’s not. I felt great off the back of the court, and I think against him that was the key today.”
From Paris, with love 😘#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters | @AlexZverev pic.twitter.com/rnk6WJRrbj
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 3, 2024
Victory in Paris was the perfect confidence-builder for Zverev ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals. The 27-year-old will now head to Turin for the prestigious season finale, where he is bidding to become a three-time titlist after his victories in 2018 in London and 2021 in Turin.
“I think for Turin, everybody becomes motivated,” said Zverev, when asked about his record at the Nitto ATP Finals. “It’s such a special tournament. It’s such a special atmosphere and feeling when you’re there and only eight players in the world are there.
“You feel special already playing there, so I think everybody is motivated. Everybody wants to win this title and play good tennis… You’re fighting all year to make the cut there, so I think once you’re there, you’re going to give it your best, and everybody else will as well. At the end of the day, you’re only playing the best eight players in the world. So there are no easy matches, and you have to play your best tennis from the first match on.”
After lifting his seventh Masters 1000 trophy, Zverev will on Monday return to his career high of No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings. While reaching No. 1 for the first time is high on the German’s list of goals, he believes he will only get there by fulfilling another long-held ambition, one that he will again push towards in 2025 — to become a major champion.
“I think now when everybody is playing and everybody is playing at full strength and everybody is healthy, you have to win Grand Slams to become World No. 1,” said Zverev. “I’m World No. 2 now, but I’m 3,000 points away from Jannik, more or less. I think without the Grand Slams and without the points of the Grand Slams, it’s not possible anymore.”
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