DPA
New York
Alexander Zverev left the US Open cursing himself over an "abysmal” performance, fully aware that he missed a golden opportunity to win a grand slam at last and that time is starting to run out on him.
A four-set quarter-final defeat against American Taylor Fritz, who also beat him in the fourth round at Wimbledon, was the latest setback for the unfulfilled German.
Age becoming a factor Zverev will be nearing 28 when the next chance comes in January at the Australian Open.
There have only been two men who have succeeded at the majors for the first time at that age or beyond in the last 25 years: Swiss Stan Wawrinka and Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic.
Zverev has reached two grand slam finals at the 2020 US Open and this year’s French Open, and in 2024 was also a semi-finalist in Australia, but he brushed all that aside in frustration on Tuesday.
"I haven’t won one. All of this doesn’t interest me. I am 27, I will be 28 next year [in April],” he said.
Near misses and setbacks Zverev has an Olympic gold, two titles from the ATP Finals, and the most match wins this year, but things have just not gone his way at the four majors.
Inexperience may have been one reason why he lost the 2020 New York final against Austrian Dominic Thiem from two sets up and two points away from victory.
The other final at Roland Garros saw him face a formidable opponent in Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz who like Thiem won in five sets.
A severe ankle injury sustained in the 2022 French Open semis and other niggles like a knee problem at this year’s Wimbledon have also not helped his cause.
Golden opportunity in New York New York then offered an almost unique opportunity to come good at last after Alcaraz and 24-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic made shock exits in the first week.
Zverev was at full health and confidence – only to implode against Fritz.
"He seemed inhibited. The door to the final was open, maybe that slowed him down,” former German great and six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker said as a TV pundit.
Frustration boils over Zverev meanwhile was just kicking himself post-match, saying "that was simply abysmal from me” and that he was the "most angry in a long time.
"My backhand, I don’t remember since being on tour hitting my backhand this badly. Just absolutely terrible by me.
"My forehand was OK, actually. My serve was OK. But my most reliable shot, the shot that I’m most known for, the shot that you normally wake me up at 3:00 am and I would not miss, was absolutely not there today, and I have no words for it, to be honest.”
"I didn’t know what to do any more. At some point I just had so many questions in my mind. I had absolutely no idea whether I should go for it, whether I should put the ball on the court.
"I just have no answers right now,” he said.