"He Changed His Game": Mouratoglou Reveals Why Zverev Finally Won Roland Garros
The French coach breaks down the decisive adjustments that helped Alexander Zverev capture his first Grand Slam title in Paris.
Alexander Zverev's title at Roland Garros continues to spark analysis.
For Patrick Mouratoglou, this first Grand Slam triumph is no coincidence, but the culmination of a deep transformation in the German's game.
"Four or five years ago, he played very far behind the baseline, sometimes three meters back"
In an interview reported by Tennis World Italia, the former coach of Serena Williams first emphasizes the overall evolution of the player:
"It's interesting to understand why Sascha Zverev became a Grand Slam champion. If you compare his game from four or five years ago to today, you see a remarkable evolution.
He used to hit a lot of double faults. That problem has been solved. His game and his positioning on the court have also changed.
Four or five years ago, he played very far behind the baseline, sometimes three meters back. He moved a lot, made very few errors, played deep, and that was enough to beat most players, except the best ones."
"Everything changes when you are ready to take the initiative"
"Today, he is much closer to the baseline. That allows him to step into the court on short balls and better capitalize on offensive situations, including on his serve. He has one of the best serves in the world.
When he is ready to come to the net, it's completely different. These are the two main differences that made him a Grand Slam champion.
I remember saying two years ago that he would never win a Grand Slam if he continued like that. You have to play to win, not to make the opponent make errors, and that's a major change."
