"Alexander Zverev is just not sure as to what he wants" - Tennis journalist on German's wavering form

Tennis journalist David Avakian has blamed Alexander Zverev's lack of clarity for his inability to regain his footing since returning to the ATP tour earlier this year.

Avakian recently appeared on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, where he discussed Zverev's form in 2023. The 26-year-old staged a comeback on tour in January this year, more than six months after rolling his ankle during the 2022 French Open semifinal.

The Dutch journalist first stated that Zverev’s results in 2023 so far have been erratic.

“Sometimes I think, ‘Ya, this is the old level’, and suddenly it is nowhere to be found,” he said on the podcast.

Avakian then analyzed Zverev's inconsistent results and suggested the 6-foot-6 German’s surprising defensive style of play could be one of the reasons for his failures.

“Is it the way he is playing? I always feel like he chooses to play a bit defensively – more than you would expect from someone his size and with his weapons,” Avakian said.

The journalist is of the belief that Alexander Zverev hasn't yet figured out his preferred game style post-injury. He stated that the former World No. 2’s lack of trust in himself on court is detrimental to his game.

“Maybe it’s that he hasn’t quite figured out how he wants to play. And I guess if you are doubting whether you are at your highest level, that’s even more the case,” he opined. “Every match is different. I think, he is just not sure as to what he wants.”

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Alexander Zverev's results in 2023 thus far

Alexander Zverev at the 2023 Madrid Open

Alexander Zverev’s form has wavered throughout the on-going season. The German started his 2023 campaign with two losses in the United Cup. He then crashed out in the second round of the Australian Open, against the then World No. 107 Michel Mmoh.

After a couple of early exits in Rotterdam and Doha, Zverev seemed to have found his groove at the Dubai Tennis Championships. He made the semifinals there, losing to Andrey Rublev.

The 2020 US Open runner-up showed decent form in Indian Wells as well, making the fourth round of the event before being defeated by Daniil Medvedev.

At the Miami Open, Zverev faced a surprising upset in his opening match against the then World No. 97 Taro Daniel. The Monte-Carlo Masters saw the 26-year-old face yet another defeat to Medvedev in the Round of 16. He was then knocked out by World No. 82 Christopher O’Connell in his opening match at the BMW Open in Munich.

Zverev's last loss came against eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the Madrid Open, where he was the defending finalist.

Currently ranked World No. 22, Alexander Zverev is at risk of a huge drop in the rankings if he fails to make a mark in the two upcoming events – the Italian Open and the French Open. The German is the defending semifinalist at both tournaments and has as many as 1,080 of his 1,630 ranking points at stake.