Zverev Defends Mentality

Alexander Zverev insists he has the mindset to win Grand Slams after questions about his mentality. The German has grown to become one of the best players in the game but has often struggled in the majors, with just two quarter-final appearances to his name.

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Zverev’s lack of results has caused consternation among his fans and led to criticism from pundits, who have suggested he has a mental weakness. The world number five, who is still only 22, has laughed off these suggestions, insisting the way he has been brought up has been to focus on development rather than results.

“I’ve always had the winning mentality. Until now, that hasn’t changed,” he told Tennis Magazine. “But, at the same time, your father told you that the most important thing wasn’t always to win when you were younger. “He taught me that the most important thing was to develop my game, to play the right way. He would always tell me that we were training for me to be good when I’m 18, 19, 20 years old, and for the rest of my career, by playing the right way.”