Alexander Zverev rated by data analyst Craig O’Shannessy – this increases his chances of winning the long-awaited Grand Slam title

After failing in the quarterfinals of the US Open, Alexander Zverev is still waiting for a Grand Slam title. The 27-year-old was once again pleased with his own performance after the match against Taylor Fritz. Tennis data analyst Craig O’Shannessy now explains in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” what Zverev would have to change in order to win more big matches.

He knew himself that he had not cut a good figure against Taylor Fritz in the 6:7, 6:3, 4:6, 6:7. After the match, Alexander Zverev said that he had “played terribly”. He complained that he had “no feeling” in his racket, “zero point zero”. He did not know if he had ever had so little feeling in his backhand. Once again, there was no Grand Slam title, even though the big favorites Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz had failed early on. Craig O’Shannessy is a data analyst in tennis. He watches the games of the professionals closely and compares the data with that of other, successful players. He has helped Novak Djokovic, Kevin Anderson and Jan-Lennard Struff, among others.

He also has ideas about how Zverev could make better use of his physical abilities, as he explained in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.

Zverev with wrong positioning

According to this, his return position in the quarter-final against Fritz was too far back. “This pattern of him standing too far behind the baseline is a recurring theme throughout his entire match,” explained O’Shannessy. As a result, he needs too many shots to win a game. This is particularly inefficient given his height and muscle mass. “The way Zverev plays, he doesn’t take enough advantage of his body and stature,” said the Australian. Statistically, the Germans should win well over 70 percent of rallies in four or fewer shots. But Zverev only wins 65 percent.

“Too much effort with too little return”

His incorrect positioning has consequences: According to the data analyst, Zverev receives the balls too late, which means he has to hit from below upwards with more spin. This is prone to errors and takes up too much energy. “Given his talent, his forehand should actually be one of the best in tennis,” said O’Shannessy: “But the forehand has always been a problem for him. He puts in too much effort for too little return.” It’s similar with his serve: his first serve is extremely strong, but his second is not. He has to make it more dangerous by hitting it harder.

Nuances about the Grand Slam title

The statistics guru’s conclusion: “He needs the right court position, he needs to get to the net more, hit his forehand more smoothly, and build up pressure on his return.” In any case, these are just nuances. But they are known to be crucial to becoming a Grand Slam champion.