Criticism of Zverev's style of play Federer: "I'm not his coach, so I can speak freely"
Will Alexander Zverev still manage to win a Grand Slam title? Tennis legend Roger Federer believes the German is capable of it - provided he changes his game.
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- Roger Federer believes that Alexander Zverev can still achieve the long-awaited triumph at a Grand Slam tournament, but the German would have to change his game to do so.
- Zverev plays "far too passively, far too defensively in the decisive moments", criticized the Swiss on the sidelines of the Laver Cup.
- The title won't come by itself. "Especially not the first one," said Federer.
According to tennis legend Roger Federer, Germany's best player Alexander Zverev continues to make the same mistakes. "I'm not his coach, so I can speak freely. When I see him play, I see someone who plays far too passively, far too defensively in the decisive moments," said the Swiss in Berlin and said: "He's great in defense, but I think to win he has to look for the way forward. If he does that, he can achieve great things".
Zverev has been waiting years for his first Grand Slam title. The Tokyo Olympic champion failed to reach the final at the US Open (2020) and French Open (2024). Most recently, the 27-year-old lost to American Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals in New York. "Against the best players in the world, you have to take the initiative and play offensively. He didn't do that against Fritz," Federer analyzed on the sidelines of the Laver Cup in the German capital.
Federer: "Title doesn't come flying at you"
According to many experts, Zverev's passivity in the fight for his first Grand Slam title will always be his downfall. "Zverev fails because of Zverev. He stands behind the baseline and hopes that his opponent will make a mistake," German tennis legend Boris Becker said back in 2021.
Everyone is certain that Zverev has the potential to win a Grand Slam. "There's not much that's missing," said Federer, calling the world number two an "outstanding player with one of the best backhands" on the tour. "But to win a Grand Slam, you have to trust in your shots and play more offensively. He has to believe in this path. Every cell in your body has to feel that this is the only right way. The title doesn't just come to you. Especially not the first one," said Federer, who has lost four of his seven duels with Zverev.
