“To win the title here in Paris means the world,” is how Alexander Zverev embraced the 2024 Paris Masters title. After a few days of hustle against top-ranked players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune, the German ATP star finally managed to make it to the top. This victory not only just added another title to his commendable portfolio of 22 ATP Tour titles. However, despite the astonishing win, he couldn’t hold back the respect for his peer Jannik Sinner. While his statements generally include Carlos Alcaraz, the 27-year-old stepped into the snubbing zone this time by placing the Italian over Alcaraz.
Alexander Zverev made no secret of the fact that his competitors have been improving rapidly. The German star openly admitted during his press conference at the Rolex Paris Masters that Jannik Sinner, particularly, has made significant improvements throughout the ongoing season. “Jannik has improved a lot this year. There are some things Carlos has improved as well,” Zverev said, applauding the level of his younger rivals but keeping Sinner ahead in his verdict.
Despite his incredible form and commendable success at the Paris Masters, Zverev highlighted the need for continuous improvement. When asked whether he was concerned about pushing himself too hard with his intense practice schedule, Zverev was firm in his response. “No,” he said. “I think in tennis you always have to improve. If you’re standing still, you’re going to go backwards because the other players are also improving.”
Zverev beats Ugo Humbert 6-2 6-2 at the Paris Masters
7th Masters title.
2nd Masters title of the season.
23rd career title.
New world #2.
‘Great season’ doesn’t begin to cover it.
pic.twitter.com/TX4wBM7K2O
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 3, 2024
Along with the younger rivals, Zverev also highlighted Novak Djokovic’s career as a perfect example of constant progress. “I think Novak, over the past 15, 20 years, has improved every single year,” he explained. “If you ask him whether he’s a better tennis player last year, let’s say 2023 or 2022 even, or, you know, 10 years ago when he was younger, I think he would say that he’s a better tennis player now.”
His victory at the 2024 Rolex Paris Masters, where he beat Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2, marked his second ATP title of the year and seventh ATP Masters 1000 crown. Especially behind his serve, Zverev’s dominant performance allowed him to become the second German to win in Paris after Boris Becker. This win also saw him surpass World No. 1 Jannik Sinner with 66 match wins this season. However, Zverev remained focused on the bigger picture. “I want to achieve my biggest goals still. For that, I know I have to get better, because for now, it has not been good enough,” he admitted.
Although Zverev’s Paris Masters win came as a major milestone, his sights are set higher, as he looks to close the gap with players like Sinner and Alcaraz. Amid all these conversations, the German ATP star also pointed to one of the hardest challenges he faced at the Paris Masters final.
Alexander Zverev uncovers a hard obstacle during his showdown against Ugo Humbert
Alexander Zverev faced more than just Ugo Humbert’s tennis on Sunday, despite a comfortable-seeming scoreline. Zverev had to manage the atmosphere that heavily favored the Frenchman while competing in front of a passionate home crowd in Paris. The crowd was seen pushing Humbert to up his game, and this made each point crucial for Zverev. Reflecting on his performance after the match, Zverev acknowledged the challenge, saying, “I knew I had to play like this to win. Ugo is an incredible player. Plus him playing in Paris, I think he played even better than he usually does.”
Zverev also highlighted the importance of taking control early in the match to limit the crowd’s impact. “I knew that once the crowd gets involved, it would be very, very difficult. I had to take that away early. I did that, and I’m happy about it,” he explained. His strategy paid off and therefore allowed him to neutralize both Humbert and the home advantage. Unlike his semi-final opponent, Karen Khachanov, who criticized the French crowd for showing a lack of respect, Zverev managed the pressure with a balance in himself and ensured that Humbert had little to celebrate in front of his home fans.
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