Chris Eubanks has leapt to the defence of Alexander Zverev, after what he’s heard some tennis fans claim about him.
The German has enjoyed a long and hugely successful career, but one crucial accolade remains absent from his trophy cabinet: a Grand Slam title.
He has been in three finals, and on two occasions has been just one set away from that ultimate prize.
And yet, it still eludes him.
Do you really believe that Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam title?
In an effort to take that next step and claim it, Alexander Zverev has been trying to make some key changes to his game.
However, Eubanks is seemingly getting frustrated with the rudimentary solutions some fans have suggested for the 28-year-old.
Chris Eubanks jumps to Alexander Zverev’s defence
Speaking on the Best of Three podcast, the American player-turned-pundit offered his unique analytical insight into today’s world of tennis once again.
And, asked to dispel one myth he hears so many fans talk about, Eubanks offered two, first touching on Zverev.
He claimed: “I think there was a lot of conversation about Zverev last year, and they were talking about, people on social media saying, he needs to play more aggressive, he needs to be closer to the baseline.
“And it’s like, you think it’s that easy, like, you think it’s that simple? Put a guy that tall, with that long of levers, with that big of a backswing on his forehand, if you put him two feet behind the baseline, he’s not gonna have time for his arms to extend. He’s gonna be picking balls up from his shoe tops. He’s going to be popping balls up in the middle of the court, and the guys are then gonna step in and start making him defend.
“Whereas he likes to play further back so that he can have time to produce his shots and then slowly work his way back up.”
Eubanks would also defend Daniil Medvedev, stating: “I think people don’t realise how good Daniil Medvedev is. They have no idea.”
Alexander Zverev has admitted he wants to change his game style
Whilst fans unsurprisingly offer a far less analytical view than current and former players, Zverev has admittedly boiled the changes in his game down to being more aggressive.
After all, his entire presence on the ATP Tour now is to claim that elusive Grand Slam title, and he won’t do it by just being consistent against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
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He does need to up his aggression, even if that is the most basic outlook on his game.
Zverev revealed the changes he’s trying to make to his game, and thus justified this claim, as he admitted just last month after a win: “It’s exciting, but it will take time.
“I’m still trying to win matches here, so sometimes I will go back to my old self.
“But I think in important moments like today in the tiebreak, I won the tiebreak myself. I won the tiebreak by playing aggressive tennis, and that’s something to look forward to and to be excited about.”
