Mark Philippoussis explains why Alexander Zverev struggles so much in Grand Slams

Mark Philippoussis says that Alexander Zverev is too reliant on energy-sapping baseline tennis right now to succeed at Grand Slams.
The German has been widely tipped to be the man to break the dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic next season after winning the ATP Tour finals.
However, while acknowledging Zeverev is the best placed player to make an attempt o the summit of the ATP Tour, he has concerns too.
“The only guy who has stepped up is Zverev,” Philippoussis told metro.co.uk. “But he hasn’t done it in Grand Slams yet.
“He’s far from done it at Grand Slams.
“He needs to step it up, starting at the Australian Open.
“His game is staying back on the baseline and that’s no problem but when you’ve got seven best-of-five set matches to win you need to, you know, kind of get through that first week without working as hard.
“In my opinion, he just stays three or four feet too far back behind that baseline and he’s just doing a lot of work.
“That’s fine in the best-of-three sets, the tournaments that he’s winning three or four of this year but in Grand Slams it’s just a different story.
“He’s working way too hard and he’s getting hurt by guys he just shouldn’t be getting hurt by.
“He’s just way too far back.”
More from Tennis365:
-
-
EXCLUSIVE: Tommy Haas makes bold prediction over Roger Federer’s future
-
John Isner hits back at ‘arrogant’ Lleyton Hewitt over Australian’s Justin Gimelstob tweet
-
EXCLUSIVE: Tommy Haas on retirement and his upcoming appearance in London
-
Comment: ATP needs to take a hard line with ‘showman’ Justin Gimelstob
-
Tennis betting special: Kyle Edmund 14/1 to win a Grand Slam in 2019
-
Latest
-
WTA Tour
Elina Svitolina to return only five months after giving birth as comeback event is confirmed
Elina Svitolina all set for her comeback.
-
ATP Tour
When did Stefanos Tsitsipas decide to become a tennis player?
Stefanos Tsitsipas has leaned on his father for advice throughout his career.
-
ATP Tour
Taylor Fritz finds quarter-final defeat hard to stomach and girlfriend Morgan Riddle becomes a meme again
Taylor Fritz was gutted to fall on the cusp of the weekend.
-
Billie Jean King Cup
Emma Raducanu absent from settled British BJK Cup squad
Emma Raducanu is absent from an otherwise settled Billie Jean King Cup group for Great Britain.
-
French Open
Daniil Medvedev and Cameron Norrie are 2023’s clay court dark horses who could cause a French Open upset
Could Cameron Norrie become the first British man to win Roland Garros in the open era.
-
WTA Tour
WTA chief responds to criticism of tennis’ lack of support for Ukraine players
“We think that the neutral approach is appropriate,” says WTA boss.
-
ATP Tour
Holger Rune also not a fan of the slow Indian Wells courts – ‘You had to play clay tennis mentally’
“I never had bite in my shots and the serve went weirdly dead.”
-
WTA Tour
Elena Rybakina rates her chances against Iga Swiatek, who is ‘physically one of the best’
Who do you think will come out on top? Iga Swiatek or Elena Rybakina?
-
Tennis News
Elena Rybakina on criticism of her coach: ‘I think it was disrespectful to him and to me’
“Hopefully, we won’t get any other comments like these,” says Elena Rybakina.
-
Tennis News
Daniil Medvedev ‘feels sorry for all the Ukrainian players and what they go through’
Medvedev also feels players “have a responsibility”.