Rafael Nadal's advice could help stop Carlos Alcaraz as rival puts it to good use
Alexander Zverev has taken on board some pearls of wisdom from Rafael Nadal as he aims to outshine Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Tour rankings. The World No. 3 and Olympic gold medallist has experienced both highs and lows throughout his career, including a gut-wrenching first-round exit at Wimbledon this year that had him mulling over therapy.
Despite reaching the finals of three Grand Slams, including the 2020 US Open, the 2024 French Open and this year's Australian Open, where he was bested by ATP No. 1, Jannik Sinner, Zverev is still chasing his first major title. But, with advice from legendary 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, he's tweaked his game ahead of the upcoming US Open.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Zverev shared insights from his time with Toni Nadal - who is Rafael's uncle and long-time coach - and the Spanish maestro himself. He said: "It's funny because I spent a lot of time with Toni (Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach) and Rafa.
"And the number one thing Rafa told me is the difference between me, Novak (Djokovic), Rafa, and Roger (Federer). Of course, they are much greater than I am, much better; I'm not even going to compare myself with them.
"But he said that they won many more matches playing badly. He said that when you're at your peak level, at the top of your game, it's very difficult to play and you can beat anyone, but I lose many matches when I play badly and he told me I have to find a way to win those ugly matches, sometimes you win by playing badly."
Nadal's sage advice seems to be doing wonders for Zverev, who has turned his fortunes around since his early Wimbledon exit and is now shining at the Canadian Open in Toronto, reports the Express. Zverev breezed past Adam Walton and Matteo Arnaldi in his initial matches, but faced a real test of character in his round of 16 bout with Francisco Cerundolo.
Cerundolo initially took a 3-1 lead in the first set, leaving Zverev visibly agitated and deep in heated discussion with his father and coach, Alexander Zverev Sr. However, the German ace managed to pull himself together, countering Cerundolo's strategy of hitting balls down the middle to limit angles, and snatched the first set 6-4.
Zverev then advanced to the quarter-finals after Cerundolo had to bow out in the second set with an abdominal strain. He's set to face Alexei Popyrin at midnight on Monday in a bid to secure a semi-final spot.
In other quarter-final news, Alex Michelsen will go head-to-head with Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev is up against Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur will take on Ben Shelton. After the Canadian Open, Zverev will then turn his attention to this year's US Open, which kicks off on Sunday, August 24.
Zverev made it to the semi-finals of the Grand Slam last year before he was ultimately bested by Fritz in a five-set thriller, but his best effort at the event came in 2020. That year, Zverev made it to the grand final of the tournament courtesy of wins over Kevin Anderson, Brandon Nakashima, Adrian Mannarino, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Borna Coric and Pablo Carreno Busta.
And while he started strong in the final against Dominic Thiem, taking the first two sets 6-2 and 6-4, the Austrian was able to turn things around and win the last three to deny Zverev the first Grand Slam title of his career.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Nyjah Huston targets Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
LAGUNA BEACH, California, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Nyjah Huston, widely regarded as the greatest street skateboarder of all time, has set his sights on Olympic gold when the sport returns to its roots at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. Huston, 30, represented the United States in the sport's Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and again at Paris 2024. He will be 33 when the Games return to Southern California but says his drive remains undiminished. "I'm stoked for the LA Olympics. I'm definitely going to try my best to be there. I plan to be there," Huston told Reuters in an interview at his home in Laguna Beach. "It helps having the extra motivation that it's in Southern California where I've lived for so long and where skateboarding really thrives. It's SoCal living." Born in Northern California, Huston first stepped on a board at the age of three, won his first competition by 10, and now boasts a trophy room bursting with awards including multiple gold medals from the SLS World Championships and the X Games. Inspired by Los Angeles skateboarding videos, Huston moved to Southern California at 15 and remains deeply connected to the region. "There couldn't be a better time for the Olympics to be in LA. It's going to be sick," he said. Reflecting on his Olympic experiences, Huston acknowledged the unique pressures athletes face at the Games and admitted he was unprepared for the intensity in Tokyo. "It was the first time ever that we're skating for our country, which means a lot to me, and was something that was totally new to skateboarding," he said. After a disappointing result in Tokyo, Huston adjusted his approach for Paris, where he captured a bronze medal. "I tried to go into Paris more with an open mind and said 'Let's just see how it goes'," he said. "I did mess up on my first run, but then that made me try harder tricks in my second run. I really went for it and put it all on the line. It ended up working out." Despite skateboarding's growing presence in the Olympics, Huston maintains that the sport's essence is rooted in its lifestyle and community. "In my eyes, skateboarding is more of a lifestyle than it is a sport, more of a way of life," said Huston. "The most true and the most important side of skateboarding is going out and having fun with my buddies, skating around different spots around the city, challenging myself, learning new tricks, filming video parts," he said. "And then big moments like the Olympics are just a plus on top of that." Huston, who has his own skateboard brand, Disorder Skateboards, has also observed the sport's global expansion. "I have noticed it a lot since the Olympics in places like Japan and China," he said. "There weren't that many skate fans out there. But now we've had some contests there the past few years and it is growing more and more." Huston will mark his 20th year competing at the X Games next year and was recently announced as a Founder Athlete for the X Games League (XGL), a team-based circuit set to launch next summer. "X Games League is about creating more opportunity for skateboarders and the action sports athletes," he said. Looking ahead, Huston remains focused on longevity. "One of my goals in life, and in skateboarding, is to simply skate for as long as possible," he said. "I want to be out there grinding rails when I'm 60, 70 years old."
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
ATP relocating tournament from Serbia to Greece
August 4 - The ATP Tour announced Monday that the Nov. 2-8 tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, is relocating to Athens, Greece. No official reason was given. Serbian media reported that Novak Djokovic and his family, who run the tournament, are behind the move. The 24-time Grand Slam champion recently expressed his support for students protesting government corruption in his native Serbia. Djokovic's brother, Djordje, has been the director of the ATP 250 tournament in the Serbian capital since 2021. The tournament in Athens, dubbed the Hellenic Championship, will be played on an indoor hard court at the OAKA Basketball Arena. "ATP 250 Hellenic Championship is organized by the experienced team behind nine previous international tournaments in Belgrade. This latest project builds on that legacy, with preparations well underway to deliver a world-class event in the historic city of Athens," read a statement from tournament organizers. "We look forward to welcoming the tennis world to Greece this November." --Field Level Media
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Rafael Nadal's advice could help stop Carlos Alcaraz as rival puts it to good use
Rafael Nadal has handed some stellar advice to Alexander Zverev, which has allowed the ATP No. 3 to completely change his game and bounce back after he was eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon Alexander Zverev has taken on board some pearls of wisdom from Rafael Nadal as he aims to outshine Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Tour rankings. The World No. 3 and Olympic gold medallist has experienced both highs and lows throughout his career, including a gut-wrenching first-round exit at Wimbledon this year that had him mulling over therapy. Despite reaching the finals of three Grand Slams, including the 2020 US Open, the 2024 French Open and this year's Australian Open, where he was bested by ATP No. 1, Jannik Sinner, Zverev is still chasing his first major title. But, with advice from legendary 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, he's tweaked his game ahead of the upcoming US Open. In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Zverev shared insights from his time with Toni Nadal - who is Rafael's uncle and long-time coach - and the Spanish maestro himself. He said: "It's funny because I spent a lot of time with Toni (Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach) and Rafa. "And the number one thing Rafa told me is the difference between me, Novak (Djokovic), Rafa, and Roger (Federer). Of course, they are much greater than I am, much better; I'm not even going to compare myself with them. "But he said that they won many more matches playing badly. He said that when you're at your peak level, at the top of your game, it's very difficult to play and you can beat anyone, but I lose many matches when I play badly and he told me I have to find a way to win those ugly matches, sometimes you win by playing badly." Nadal's sage advice seems to be doing wonders for Zverev, who has turned his fortunes around since his early Wimbledon exit and is now shining at the Canadian Open in Toronto, reports the Express. Zverev breezed past Adam Walton and Matteo Arnaldi in his initial matches, but faced a real test of character in his round of 16 bout with Francisco Cerundolo. Cerundolo initially took a 3-1 lead in the first set, leaving Zverev visibly agitated and deep in heated discussion with his father and coach, Alexander Zverev Sr. However, the German ace managed to pull himself together, countering Cerundolo's strategy of hitting balls down the middle to limit angles, and snatched the first set 6-4. Zverev then advanced to the quarter-finals after Cerundolo had to bow out in the second set with an abdominal strain. He's set to face Alexei Popyrin at midnight on Monday in a bid to secure a semi-final spot. In other quarter-final news, Alex Michelsen will go head-to-head with Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev is up against Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur will take on Ben Shelton. After the Canadian Open, Zverev will then turn his attention to this year's US Open, which kicks off on Sunday, August 24. Zverev made it to the semi-finals of the Grand Slam last year before he was ultimately bested by Fritz in a five-set thriller, but his best effort at the event came in 2020. That year, Zverev made it to the grand final of the tournament courtesy of wins over Kevin Anderson, Brandon Nakashima, Adrian Mannarino, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Borna Coric and Pablo Carreno Busta. And while he started strong in the final against Dominic Thiem, taking the first two sets 6-2 and 6-4, the Austrian was able to turn things around and win the last three to deny Zverev the first Grand Slam title of his career.
