Why Ivan Lendl was the right choice for Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev has failed expectations. He has failed the expectations of the world and he has failed his own expectations.

Last year at 20 years of age, he already had wins over Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and had broken through their stranglehold on the men’s game to win Masters 1000 tournaments on multiple surfaces. He was on track to be to be the new tennis star to break through the “Big Four” hegemony. That has not happened. When it came time to prove his worth at the Grand Slams, he choked. Multiple times, he choked. Though ranked inside the top 10 in the world, his losses came from unranked and unknown players. Until the 2018 French Open, Zverev had failed to make it past the fourth round of any Major despite being a favorite to win.

Zverev did what anybody in his position would do: he looked for help. Adding a new coach to his team was the logical solution, and he pursued powerhouse options in potentially hiring Boris Becker or Ivan Lendl.  These two coaches have arguably been the most successful in the past decade, bringing the best possible results to Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, respectfully. Due to Becker’s price tag, and the current status of his personal life, Becker would be the second-best option. At the strong recommendation from Zverev’s physio, he ultimately chose Ivan Lendl. Here is why that is the correct choice.

In the 1980s Ivan Lendl lost his first four Grand Slam finals. He then went on to win a total of eleven slams – the second most at that time. Overcoming the mental scarring of losing so many important matches is no easy task, but Lendl persevered and is now passing his wisdom on to current generations. This was apparent with Andy Murray who was not living up to the world’s expectations when he lost his first four Grand slam finals and looked as though he did not have what it takes to actually win. With the addition of Lendl on the team, Murray went on to win three Grand Slams and two Olympic Gold Medals. Zverev is in a similar situation to Lendl and Murray as he has the potential to win the biggest tournaments in the sport. So far, he has been brushed away by much lesser players and is developing a reputation of not possessing the mental fortitude to win. This is Lendl’s greatest area to improve.

Additionally, Lendl was known on tour for his powerful forehand. Tennis historians will remember the infamous moment in which Lendl hit John McEnroe so hard in the chest that McEnroe was pushed to the floor. This will be a large help to Zverev, whose forehand is perceived not as a sword, but as a defensive shield. Lendl improved the Andy Murray forehand and he is fully capable of doing the same with Zverev.

Lendl’s final lesson for Zverev is to improve the quality of his lifestyle. As a professional, Lendl viewed the court as a battleground, and himself a tennis warrior. He made no time for frivolous things such as going to the movies, grabbing a beer after a victory, or eating foods that would not translate to success in battle. Lendl lived and breathed tennis. Zverev is a young boy on tour; there is plenty of fine-tuning that must be done to be molded into a dynasty-creating tennis champion. While Zverev has openly admitted that a coaching relationship that promotes a boring lifestyle would not work for himself, it is hard to argue that adopting even small aspects of Lendl’s tennis-warrior lifestyle would not instill additional success.

Alexander Zverev has been a favorite to win at the Grand Slams but has not come close to achieving glory. With new coach Ivan Lendl at this side, will 2019 be the season Zverev breaks through?