Alexander Zverev has just been handed a golden opportunity to impress Toni Nadal at the Toronto Open.
After all, whilst the German has not officially begun working with the legendary coach, they have been pictured training together ever since his Wimbledon journey was cut short in the first round.
Sparking an emotional post-match press conference, and clearly a change in direction, there’s now hope that the man who led Rafael Nadal to limitless silverware can help this 28-year-old enjoy just a small taste of that success.
Some fans have already noticed one big change in Zverev since working with Nadal, and so if their union is to continue, he should only go from strength to strength.
He has the perfect opportunity to kickstart his time under this new leadership, even before its official announcement, given how the draw at the Toronto Open has fallen apart.
Multiple top players have pulled out of the Toronto Open
Ahead of this latest Masters 1000 event, Alexander Zverev was pitted to be the third seed, with almost all of the world’s top male tennis players having applied for entry.
However, in the space of just under a week, he has been catapulted into the top-seeded spot, with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper all withdrawing before the event had even begun.
This has left a huge power vacuum, and a title that is just waiting to be taken by someone outside of these elite players.
Last year, Alexei Popyrin stunned the world when he soared to the title, but before that, it was Jannik Sinner who claimed his maiden title at this tournament.
Novak Djokovic is a four-time winner, and Alcaraz and Draper would have been heading into the event with points to prove after failing to live up to expectations at Wimbledon.
Alas, it’s now Zverev who should consider himself the outstanding favourite to win his second title here, eight years on from his first.
Alexander Zverev has a golden opportunity to impress Toni Nadal
Although he is not his official coach, this event marks an opportunity for Zverev to impress Toni and convince him that there is a potential Grand Slam champion lying dormant, waiting to be unleashed.
After all, he has a clear issue to disprove after Nadal outlined what he felt to be the biggest problem facing the player.
He claimed: “Zverev, it’s a mental problem.
“For example, last year when he played against [Carlos] Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final, he won the third set and started the fourth. In this moment, he knows he plays against Alcaraz; Alcaraz is a wonderful player. This is a moment when you have to pay a lot of attention in these first games.
“In this moment Zverev played, in the first game, he was in trouble with his team, he started to talk, and within 10 minutes it was 4-0 or 4-1 to Alcaraz. This is what can happen. I don’t say this to be bad to Zverev, because I appreciate him, but for me, he has to change.”
It’s clear that when facing the top players in the big moments, he can be accused of freezing. But now, he will have to prove that he can do it when the pressure is high and success is expected of him.
How he performs in Toronto could even inform Nadal’s decision to stay long-term by his side, and help guide him to the success he so desperately craves.
