Toni Nadal Reveals Advise to Alexander Zverev Despite Coaching Refusal

Alexander Zverev has often been criticized for his lack of fight in crucial moments of matches against the top 2 in the ATP rankings. The German star has struggled to win big tournaments for more than a year on tour. Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal has revealed the advice he gave the 27-year-old on how to break that curse.

Particularly in Grand Slam tournaments, Zverev has failed to live up to expectations. Many believe he’s the best player of his generation yet to win a major title, despite reaching three finals. Two of his Grand Slam finals were against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the 2024 French Open and 2025 Australian Open, respectively.

The former World No.2 reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January and faced Alcaraz. Despite being the second favorite to win the match, it turned in his favor when Alcaraz began to struggle with physical issues. He pushed the match to a deciding set, but there he failed to win crucial points.

That ultimately led to his loss at the tournament. After the match, he revealed that he began to feel tired towards the end of the fifth set. The analyst pointed out that his comments have proven their point about his lack of fighting spirit in crucial moments, stressing that Alcaraz had no hope of winning the match if he played in that condition against his arch-rival, Sinner.

Last week, Zverev suffered another loss, this time against Sinner at the Indian Wells semi-finals. The defeat marks the sixth consecutive time that the German star has failed to beat the Italian on tour. Toni Nadal, who trained with Zverev for a few weeks last season, revealed that he has told the 28-year-old to take more risk each time he faced Alcaraz or Sinner:

I’m sure Medvedev would prefer to face another player rather than Alcaraz or Sinner, but he knows that if he plays against them, he has to give it his all. When Zverev contacted me, I told him he had to take more risks when facing Alcaraz or Sinner. And the players know that. Opponents are constantly studying you. Everyone else is looking for ways to beat you.

Alcaraz’s unbeaten run on tour ended at the Indian Wells semi-finals after his loss to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. He will be back on the court at the Miami Open. Not only him, but Sinner and Zverev will compete. Zverev is still seeking his first title this season and his first ATP Masters 1000 crown since the 2024 Paris Masters.

Alexander Zverev aims to be more aggressive this season

Alexander Zverev began the 2026 season to get to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are the two current dominators of the men’s tour and are destined to remain at the top for many years to come. But Sascha doesn’t seem to have done so three months into the new season on tour.

The German star will have to change his style of play or add something to his game to have a chance of challenging Alcaraz and Sinner. He revealed during his pre-match press conference at the Miami Open that he wants to be more aggressive on the court this year, but will need time to inculcate the new tactics:

A lot of players want to be aggressive, but it’s not easy to apply this kind of tactic. I’m trying to adopt a different game starting this year and I’m aware that it’s a long process, which requires patience. I’m managing to be more aggressive at certain times, but I still need time and I can’t be effective all the time. I am willing to accept some losses because I am confident about this path. I’m sure it’s the right thing to do at this stage of my career.

Zverev crashed out of the Miami Open in the round of 16 last year after losing to Arthur Fils in three sets. This season has been impressive, apart from his poor run at the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco. He will be seeking to have another good run at the Miami Open and perhaps win the title.

Also Read: Former World No.1 Wants Tournaments to Stop Giving Wild Cards to Venus Williams

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