Alexander Zverev wins the Rome Masters after a convincing final against Nicolas Jarry 6-4 7-5. This is Zverev’s second title in the Italian capital.
We all know that when Zverev gets on a roll, he is hard to stop. And with names like Sinner and Alcaraz missing in the draw, this was a good opportunity for him to win a title before the French Open 2024. Does this make him a key threat to win his first Grand Slam title? Yes. However, he does have a court case for abuse to get through at the end of May, which might be cause for distraction.
But nothing seemed distracted about Zverev in Rome. He only lost one set throughout the tournament and that was in the semi-final against Alejandro Tabilo. This is the match he was closest to losing, but after that second set tie-break which he won 7-4, the win was really never in doubt.
TN contributor Simon Zeitler predicted that Zverev would win the final in two tight sets, and he was right.
So, the match will come down to Zverev’s nerves and which player can be the aggressor in most points, an all-too-familiar theme in tennis. Still, I would predict a close two-set victory for Zverev, who will travel to Roland Garros as the man to beat in my eyes. This could really be the year for him, where he finally gets his first Slam title and shed the status of unfulfilled prodigy.
Simon Zeitler
Zverev’s path to victory
Below, you have Zverev’s path to his second Rome Masters title. This was a solid performance and possibly a sign of things to come. 2024 might well be the year when Zverev wins his first Grand Slam. The French Open will be more open ahead of the event than it has been in many years and I am sure he realizes he has a great chance now that the form of players like Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic and Nadal are all doubtful due to potential lingering injuries (Djokovic will look for his form at the Geneva Open next week).
Zverev wins the Rome Masters but what does that mean for the rest of the season? Let us know in the comments!
