Alexander Zverev has been world number 1 since this Monday. And that same Monday, some people already say he doesn’t deserve it, because he lost every meeting with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic this season.
I know the feeling. Exactly. When I went up to C15.5 (a club-level ranking), before the tendinitis, I was told at the club it was because my opponents had pulled out. Two out of three. But I’d have beaten them, technically.
He has two Grand Slams, Roland-Garros and the US Open. I have the clubhouse bar tournament. Same pattern: you win what’s put in front of you, and then people discuss what wasn’t put in front of you.
What interests me is his letter, published by the ATP. He writes: “That is not how you want to reach the top of tennis. Ideally, you would become world number 1 when everybody is healthy and playing at their best. But here I am: world number 1.”
“But here I am.” In terms of intentions, that’s a perfect zone. He concedes everything in the first two sentences, and the third closes the point. Me, I’d have talked about the strings. He doesn’t even mention the strings. That’s world level.
The little one writes letters, at least. Some people don’t even say thank you for dinner.
This Sunday at ten, in club league (interclubs, Belgium’s weekend team league), when someone tells me my win doesn’t count because it was pouring, I won’t argue. I’ll say: but here I am. The AFT (French-speaking Belgian federation) ranking comes out in January. Two practice sessions away, mind you.
It’s true, we checked: We Love Tennis.
