‘Patriotism or PR move’ Alexander Zverev to play in the Davis Cup having vowed earlier to never play in the Cup
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Alexander Zverev
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev will be returning to Davis Cup action having skipped the first two editions since the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ made some changes to its format. Zverev had earlier refused to play in the Davis Cup skipping the Finals in 2019 and then the entire tournament in 2021 as he believed it was not the ‘real Davis Cup’.
“The format has to be changed and I’m sticking to that. I am someone who keeps his word. I want to win the Davis Cup, but I want to win the real Davis Cup,” Zverev had said during the 2021 season indicating his wish that the original format is restored as it was the demand of many former players and current players as well since the tournament went into the hands of Spanish Footballer Gerard Pique‘s Kosmos Group that have made the changes to the tournament.
However, as per recent reports, Sascha is actually looking to return to the competition with Davis Cup ties set to be held in the first week of March that will see 24 countries playing in the qualifiers with Germany set to clash with Brazil in the Olympic Tennis Center in Rio with the matches set to be played on Clay.
The decision to play at the Davis Cup however does not seem to be fully patriotic. Having been kicked out of the 2022 Acapulco Open for hitting the chair umpire’s stand with his racquet and narrowly missing the umpire’s foot, Zverev was handed a hefty fine and removed from the draw for his violent actions. Keeping in mind his actions in Mexico, it could be a good PR move to get some goodwill after his rowdy act.
The decision seems a PR move because the matches will be played on Clay and from 10th March, the 2022 Indian Wells Masters will begin in California followed by the 2022 Miami Masters with both tournaments being played on outdoor hardcourts. While many players don’t play on Clay before April when the Tour shifts its focus completely to its Golden Swing, Zverev’s actions do hint that he is looking to restore his tarnished image.
Alexander Zverev likely to play at the Indian Wells Masters as ATP fails to suspend him
Having been kicked out from the tournament hours after he assaulted the chair umpire’s stand having abused the umpire earlier, many expected the German to be given a suspension from the Tour as well. However, there has not been any announcement over his suspension and the player might be allowed to continue playing on the Tour.
With the events in February over, all the players will directly be seen now in the USA for the two Masters events in California and Miami. With Rafael Nadal winning the title in Acapulco, he is exactly 1000 points short of matching Zverev’s tally and the German will need some good results in March to maintain his rank given Nadal is currently 15-0 for the season with all of his wins coming on hardcourts.
Also Read: Latest ATP Rankings post the 2022 Acapulco Open
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)