“He can struggle a little bit with the forehand sometimes" - Zverev offered advice on aspects of game to improve

Despite losing against Alexander Zverev, Jaume Munar and Spain managed to find a way past Germany in their Davis Cup semi-final clash. After the conclusion to the tie, Munar praised his opponent but also admitted that there were aspects to his game which could improve.

The duo faced in the second singles matchup in Bologna. Prior to this, Pablo Carreno Busta had defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets, surviving five consecutive set points as he reeled off seven points on the spin to get the job done and give the Spanish outfit a commanding lead.

It was now the turn of Munar to seal their spot in Sunday's clash, but in his way was a very competitive opponent in the form of Zverev. The former Olympic champion was not at his best on the day, but proved too strong for the world number 36 as he came out on top in tow tiebreakers. Subsequently, this forced the double pairings to venture onto the court in a very nerve-wracking tie. It would be the Spaniard who prevailed in the end, reaching their 11th Davis Cup Final as they hunt for a seventh title against the two-time reigning champions Italy.

“First of all, the tour now, it’s so close for everyone. The daily matchup, you see how it goes," Munar stated, appreciating the number of high quality players there are currently on the ATP Circuit, including Zverev. “Sascha, of course, is a very, very top player. At the end of the year everybody is saying that he did not play the best tennis during the year. But he’s 4 or 3 in the world right now, so imagine. It was close today because everything is close. Let’s put in another side, maybe Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz]. All of the rest, I think we are playing face to face anyone."

Munar went on to declare what the world number three could improve with his overall game, specifically focusing on the German's forehand and passive style on the court.

“Of course, he can struggle a little bit with the forehand sometimes. He can be a little passive," Munar said. "But he has an incredible weapon, which is the serve. I don’t know, matches are like this. I feel like any matchup now in the tour, it’s pretty much the same. It’s very close because the level is high. Of course, we have two guys on top of that. The rest, I think we fight each other.”

It is clear by daylight that Alcaraz and Sinner are the two dominant forces currently. They have won major after major, big title after big title while regularly fending off the supposed 'best players in the world.' One of which is Zverev who is their closest challenger in the rankings. Despite this, it may not be shown on court.

While he finished the year strong, he was let down by a barren run in the middle of the season. He only managed to win two Grand Slam matches in the final two events, while failing to win a title since April. He made the final of the Vienna Open and three semi-finals in the final four Masters 1000 events, but on a number of occasions was halted in his tracks by the brilliance of Sinner and Alcaraz.

He has failed to defeat the big two in any capacity this year in five separate meetings. Adding to that, his comfy spot in the rankings will be severely under threat with a lot of ranking points to defend at the start of 2026. This is mainly from the Australian Open final he made at the start of 2025, going down in three sets to Sinner. He will be hoping for a big run in Melbourne to recuperate those points and to kick start his season on the right foot.