Alexander Zverev stuttered for the fourth time this year against Taylor Fritz to bow out of the ATP Finals.
Taylor Fritz triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) in a gripping two-hour and 23-minute semifinal to book his place in Sunday’s ATP Finals title clash against Jannik Sinner.
In doing so, he became the first American to reach the final since James Blake in 2006 – the last time a US player won the event was thanks to Pete Sampras in 1999.
The fifth seed continued his dominance over Alexander Zverev, extending his winning streak against the German to four matches, after victories at the Laver Cup and the US Open quarter-finals in September.
Fritz’s win also snapped Zverev’s impressive nine-match winning streak, which included his Paris Masters title and flawless performance in the group stage, where he defeated Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Carlos Alcaraz.
Having shared kind words with Alcaraz at the net, Zverev revealed the player the Spaniard admitted he doesn’t enjoy playing against.
Alexander Zverev names player Alcaraz says he dislikes playing
Zverev has faced his fair share of tough opponents this year, most of which he’s sailed past, but some matchups seem to trouble him more than others.
After a narrow loss again to Fritz, the German reflected on the unique dynamics of player rivalries.
He acknowledged how it’s individual playing styles that often determine who thrives against whom, rather than ranking.
This led to an intriguing insight about his and Alcaraz’s differing preferences when it comes to ‘comfortable’ and ‘uncomfortable’ opponents.
“He [Fritz] is an uncomfortable player for me, it’s no secret. There are players that are more comfortable for some opponents and there are players who are less comfortable,” he said.
“I spoke to Carlos about it because we have quite a good friendship and his very, very comfortable opponents are the complete opposite to me, and his uncomfortable opponents are the complete opposite to me as well.
“For him, I think some of the most comfortable opponents are Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz and he really doesn’t like playing some of the big hitters like Jannik Sinner, he is a great player, number one in the world, but I still enjoy playing against him,” Zverev explained.
Photo by Tian Yuhao/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
“It’s funny how match ups in tennis work and not every match is the same, not purely based on ranking and the higher placed player wins.”
Despite this claim, Alcaraz has beaten Sinner three times this year, in a thrilling Beijing Final most recently.
How can Alexander Zverev solve the Taylor Fritz puzzle?
Four consecutive losses to Fritz, including two at Grand Slams, loom large for Zverev.
These defeats underscore a troubling pattern for the German: both the three-set and five-set formats have tested his mental resilience, an area that has often been a talking point in his career.
Zverev’s history of struggling in high-pressure moments, including two heartbreaking Grand Slam final losses from winning positions, highlights the importance of the mental game.
Tennis is as much about psychological endurance as it is about physical skill, and finding a way past Fritz’s confident, aggressive style will require both.
With the two likely to cross paths again soon given their strong recent form, Zverev must quickly dissect this new barrier, especially after faltering in crucial tie-break moments – somewhere he’s been so solid this week – against a surging Fritz.
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