Alexander Zverev is one of those players in today's game who should be significantly more successful than he has been so far. Then again, at times, it makes sense why he isn't.
If you can put aside the off-court issues that have developed around Zverev's personal life over the past two years and focus strictly on his tennis game, he's one of the most talented players on the ATP tour, and has been since he entered the scene.
Still, after more than a decade on the pro tour, Zverev has yet to capture a Grand Slam, despite coming very close on more than a few occasions. Today, thirteen years in, Zverev's career may be at a crossroads, and his window to choosing a path forward may be running out.
Would Rafael Nadal's famous coach correct Alexander Zverev's stars?
First, let's acknowledge that Zverev has never been a bust, or even close to it. He has no major victories, but his career as a whole has turned out to be rather successful. The German has 24 ATP titles to his name, including seven Masters 1000 wins. He's also spent time at No.2 in the world during the 2022 season.
In addition to his winning achievements on tour, Zverev has compiled a 498-212 match record and has raked in over $53 million in prize money. And, of course, we can't forget his gold medal win at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Again, there's no denying Zverev has been successful, especially since he turned pro at the height of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic's powers.
Yet, even still, after all that Zverev has achieved, many consider him to have underachieved due to his number of Grand Slam titles coming in at zero. Fair, or unfair, you decide. Nevertheless, Zverev, unfortunately, carries with him a stigma that he still has time to shake off.
So, what does Toni Nadal have to do with any of this? Toni, of course, being Rafael's famous uncle, played an instrumental role in the Spaniard's shared dominance over tennis alongside Federer for two decades, which included 22 majors, 92 titles (excluding doubles), and an unmatched reign of supremacy on the grounds at Roland Garros.
Uncle Toni, as he was affectionately known during Rafa's run, has recently been mentioned in rumors related to Zverev. The rumors tell of a potential partnership between player and former coach. Zverev was recently spotted at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where Uncle Toni was also present, where the two were training together.
This, of course, drew mass speculation immediately, but currently, there has been no official announcement of a team-up. Suppose Zverev and Toni did come together? What could that do for Zverev's career?
Would having a coach of Toni's pedigree and wealth of knowledge spark some grand eruption within Zverev that alters the current trajectory of his career? Following Wimbledon's disaster and several other early crash-outs at events throughout the year, Zverev's career is heading in the wrong direction.
Who's to say what could truly happen if Zverev had a voice like Toni's in his box? What it could do is extend Zverev's window, and that's even with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the mountain, knocking everybody that tries to overtake the peak from them.
Surely, they can't win every Grand Slam. History tells of Federer and Nadal even getting beaten out from time to time, even if it was rare. Just ask Stan Wawrinka or Juan Martin del Potro—two players who know what it's like to take the big dog down in the final match of a major.
Zverev can still be one of those underdogs, but he has to decide how he wants the back end of his career to go. Perhaps, Uncle Toni has the answers. If he is not the answer, Zverev must find another.