Zverev's impressive statistics against left-handed players

Alexander Zverev's victory over Ugo Humbert in the final of the Paris Masters 1000 marked his 26th consecutive dual against a left-hander on the circuit.

Quite simply, his last defeat in this situation came in a Davis Cup match in February 2023, against Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler.

Quite an impressive achievement, given that left-handers are often considered to be tricky players, as they are obviously rarer on the circuit. And Rafael Nadal, the best-known left-hander of all, has not been a threat for the last two years.

In fact, today's loser in Paris, Ugo Humbert, will be the No. 1 left-hander on Monday (ranked 14th in the world), ahead of Jack Draper and Ben Shelton.

Asked in the press conference about his winning streak, Alexander Zverev revealed the secrets of his success: "Left-handedness, for me, is perhaps a little more natural than for other players. I grew up with my brother (Mischa), who is left-handed, so that's what I had in front of me in training when I was young.

So, yes, obviously, I'm a bit more used to lifts and slice serves and all the rest of it. But left-handers can still be tricky, just like any other player."