Zverev says Dimitrov hasn't won a Grand Slam due to Big Three: "It comes down to Novak, Roger and Rafa a bit"
ATPSaturday, 02 September 2023 at 09:30
Germany’s tennis star Alexander Zverev stated that he is
more surprised to see that Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov has never played in the
ATP Finals.
The 26-year-old is set to face the 32-year-old in the third
round of the US Open on Saturday.
The fourth and final Grand Slam is moving towards the
business end where players from all over the world are participating to
showcase their talent.
Ahead of the much-awaited encounter, Zverev was asked by a
journalist if he was surprised to see someone like his next opponent Dimitrov
not winning a Grand Slam in his career.
In response to that, the world number 12 stated that it is
not a surprise to see some of the very best talent not winning a major tournament
in last 20 years as the Big Three — Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Spain’s Rafael
Nadal and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic — dominated the sport.
Instead, Zverev expressed surprise to see someone of the
quality of Dimitrov never making it to the ATP Finals.
“I think that’s a difficult because there is a lot of
players who haven’t won a Slam yet,” he said. “[Stefanos] Tsitsipas hasn’t. I
haven’t. Result wise we have been playing better from the last few years. It
comes down to Novak, Roger, & Rafa a bit. A lot of players like [Tomas] Berdych,
[David] Ferrer, [David] Nalbandian, [Robin] Soderling.
“They all haven’t won one. It’s not that easy to win these
things. Especially when you have three guys that really dominated for 20 years.
So I am more surprised that he never made it to the [ATP] Finals.”
Dimitrov booked his place in the round of 32 after beating the
former world number one Britain’s Andy Murray in straight sets with a score of
6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
On the other hand, Zverev
booked his place in the fourth round of the mega event after beating fellow
German Daniel Altmaier with a score of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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