After the bitter exit in the Davis Cup semi-finals, the German tennis professionals are hoping for more regular appearances from top star Alexander Zverev in the DTB selection.
“Sure, we are a stronger team when Sascha is there. It would be nice if he played more,” said doubles expert Tim Pütz to “SID” after the 1-2 defeat against Spain in Bologna.
World number three Zverev returned to the German team for the final round of the traditional national tournament for the first time since February 2023 – but in the end it wasn’t enough for the title, even though Zverev won his singles in the quarter-finals against Argentina and in the semi-finals.
Everyone is aware that Zverev has reasons why he “sometimes plays and sometimes doesn’t play,” said Pütz, “and that’s completely okay. We’re a great team all around.”
Zverev is not a fan of the “new” format of the Davis Cup with a final round in one place and the date at the end of the season, as he made clear again in Bologna. Nevertheless, he decided to play because he believed in the title chance with the aging team. National coach Michael Kohlmann sees personnel changes coming to the DTB selection in the coming years.
“I believe that the team will change in one position or another,” said Kohlmann. Regardless of the line-up, “the goal must always be to at least reach the final tournament,” said Kohlmann.