Zverev admits lacking certain gameplay needed to grab a Grand Slam

German tennis star Alexander Zverev has responded to comments made by the former world number one Switzerland’s Roger Federer about him not winning a Grand Slam. The 27-year-old is regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category alongside Italy’s Jannik Sinner, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Zverev is having an impressive season, and because of this, he is currently ranked second in the ATP rankings. The Hamburg-born star has had an impressive career, winning 22 ATP titles. Despite winning so many titles, the German tennis star has not been able to win a single Grand Slam title.

Zverev’s most recent appearance in the mega-event was in the US Open earlier this year, where he lost to America’s Taylor Fritz in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. That defeat was a surprising one, considering that the current world number two started the competition as one of the favourites to go all the way. His stakes increased even further once the likes of Alcaraz and Djokovic departed early in the competition. However, he failed to capitalise on that, leaving many of his fans disappointed.

Former world number one Federer has recently spoken to the media about Zverev, where he highlighted that the German tennis star has not been able to win a Grand Slam. “To win a Grand Slam, you have to play far more offensively – the title doesn’t just come to you,” he said. “When I watch him [Zverev] play, I see someone who plays far too passively, far too defensively in the decisive moments. Against the best players in the world, you have to take the initiative and play offensively. He didn’t do that against Fritz.”

Zverev, who is currently in Berlin to participate in the upcoming Laver Cup, recently quoted in a report where he agreed with Federer and admitted that he is still lacking something in his gameplay to win a major tournament. “That’s nothing I don’t know,” he said. “It’s absolutely clear to me that I didn’t play the way I want to play. That was a terrible game from me. That’s why it’s completely okay what Roger said.”