Zverev, United Cup first major test for 2023

On June 3, during the exciting semifinal match against Rafa Nadal at Roland Garros, Sascha Zverev experienced one of the worst moments of his life. Definitely his career. A terrible sprain of the ankle and right, then the fall and the screams. The wheelchair exit, the operation, the long rehabilitation and a first attempt to return to Dubai in the World Tennis League, a very rich exhibition tournament between big names in which he even beat Novak Djokovic. We need to rediscover the right sensations, to feel the field and the ball, to put that ankle to the test and now it’s time for another important test at the United Cup, the new combined event between ATP and WTA starting on December 29 .

The motivations

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The victory against Novak Djokovic, with a score of 6-3 6-4, should be taken with a grain of salt. For Nole it was the tournament of relaxation, of fun in the heat: zero motivation, great cachet, while for Zverev it was exactly the opposite. In less than a month it will be time for the Australian Open, the German cannot give up an inch if he wants to present himself competitively at the first Grand Slam of 2023. Recovering at best from a sprain involving ligaments is not easy at all, and Sascha does not play a game official for almost seven months.

In 2023

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Net of the competitive level of the match, however, Zverev showed good things. Winning is always good for morale in a situation like this. The German had already beaten Dominic Thiem in the first round in the previous exhibition tournament, the Diriyah Tennis Cup in the United Arab Emirates, in two super tiebreakers (10-8 10-7) before losing to Daniil Medvedev. He restarted from his friend Dominic, a player with whom he lost the only Grand Slam final he played (at the US Open 2020) and who, like the German, is trying to return to the tennis greats. If the road for Thiem is still long (he is number 102 in the ATP ranking), Zverev sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The German occupies 12th position in the rankings and knows that, once the injury is over, he will be ultra-competitive again. The problem is figuring out when to push hard, to avoid relapses that would greatly complicate his return to the top levels. Also because the rivals are increasing: in addition to the usual ones, in recent months the various Alcaraz, Rune, Auger Aliassime have also started to make claims in the most important tournaments, without forgetting the Italians. The first answers are good, but they must be taken for what they are. Zverev is finding the field again, now a new challenge awaits him.