Alexander Zverev, at 25 year-old, can and should aspire to something more than what he is already getting from his career. The titles have arrived, but in the Grand Slams there is still too much effort. However, the Roland Garros 2022 gives the German renewed ambitions, relaunching his career once again.
Proof of pride of a very solid German player who, in a quarter-final in which he was clearly underdog (given the clear defeat in the final of the Master 1000 in Madrid), overturns the favors and wins in 3 hours and 21 minutes on a swinging Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7), entering the semifinals of Roland Garros for the second year in a row.
The Teutonic tennis player, who after the fear of the second round against Sebastian Baez (he recovered two sets of advantage, also saving match points) has considerably raised his performance, has therefore obtained an important and prestigious success that leads him to the semifinals of a slam for the fourth time in his career (he went all the way to the final at the US Open 2020). The number three in the world, with the success against Alcaraz, has also dispelled a very long taboo, which has even lasted since 2016.
Alexander Zverev can and must aim for more
The 25-year-old from Hamburg has finally managed to lift a curse that has haunted him since the beginning of his career. In fact, Zverev had not yet managed to beat a top 10 in slam tournaments in his career. The German’s long streak had lasted for 6 years, which began in 2016 when he lost in the first round of the Australian Open to then number two Andy Murray.
From then on the German surrendered in chronological order to Tomas Berdych (Wimbledon 2016), Rafa Nadal (Australian Open 2017), Milos Raonic (Wimbledon 2017), three times to Novak Djokovic (Roland Garros 2019, Australian Open and US Open 2021), three to Dominic Thiem (Roland Garros 2018, Australian Open 2020 and the final of the US Open) and to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinal of the Paris slam last year.
At the 12th attempt, therefore, Zverev finally won a victory that can mean a lot, both in terms of rankings (the German could now also undermine the head of the world ranking) and mentally.
Carlos Alcaraz, currently number 6 in the world, was one of the fittest players on the circuit and one of the main candidates for the title. In the semifinal the German will face Rafa Nadal, 13 times champion on French soil and King of Paris.