Top 5 on serve & return, Zverev is double trouble for opponents | ATP Tour

Insights

High 5 on serve & return, Zverev is double bother for opponents

TDI Insights additionally exhibits big forehand enchancment in 2024

September 11, 2024

Alexander Zverev has made a profession of holding serve with ease, racing by way of his service video games by overpowering opponents together with his hefty first supply. However the German has been equally as efficient on return in 2024, making for a troubling mixture for opponents.

His complementary serve and return efficiency has helped him tally a season-leading 56 match wins and safe qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals for the seventh time.

The 27-year-old is notably among the many High 5 in each serve (8.8) and return high quality (7.49), based on Tennis Information Improvements, in partnership with TennisViz. Shot High quality is calculated in real-time by analysing every shot’s velocity, spin, depth, width and the impression it has on the opponent. Zverev has an impression by mixing firepower with hefty spin.

A major enchancment in his forehand Shot High quality has supplied a lift to Zverev on each serve and return factors. In 2023 Zverev was thirteenth on the forehand Shot High quality index; this 12 months he has surged to fifth. (He’s fourth on the backhand leaderboard, the identical place he held in 2023.)

“Sascha likes to serve large, return large, however he’s additionally clever on court docket, he can learn the sport very, very effectively,” mentioned Mischa Zverev, former No. 25 within the PIF ATP Rankings and a longtime member of his brother’s workforce.

Certified for Turin @AlexZverev turns into the 2nd participant to safe his spot on the @atptour Finals!

Try his standout #Insights numbers for the 2024 season thus far to see how he earned his place#TennisInsights | @atptour pic.twitter.com/GA8ILVPjEL

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) September 10, 2024

Zverev this season is hammering his first serve at a mean of 129 mph, in comparison with the tour-average 116 mph. It doesn’t get a lot simpler to return his second serve. The 22-time tour-level titlist hits his second serve on common at 105 mph, 11 mph quicker than the common.

Zverev’s Serve In 2024:1st Serve Velocity = 129 mph (Tour Avg. = 116 mph) 1st Serve Accuracy = 59 cm from the sideline (Tour Avg. = 58 cm) 1st Serve Effectiveness* = 67.1% (Tour Avg. = 60.9%) 2nd Serve Velocity = 105 mph (Tour Avg. = 94 mph) 2nd Serve Effectiveness* = 26.2% (Tour Avg. = 23.4%) *effectiveness is the % of serves which are a mix of aces, unreturned and variety of instances the server is in an attacking part on serve+1

Zverev has additionally notched spectacular good points in different key Insights fields. He has surged to thirteenth (from 61st) within the Steal class, successful factors 37.2 per cent of the time from a defensive place. He has jumped from ninety fifth to forty fourth in Conversion, successful 68.1 per cent of factors when in assault.

And he’s taking part in extra aggressive tennis, shifting from thirty ninth to twenty second on the In Assault leaderboard, reflecting which gamers spend probably the most time in attacking positions.

When the tennis balls get despatched to the opponent’s finish of the court docket, there’s not a lot respiration room for whomever is throughout from Zverev.

This 12 months’s Roland Garros finalist is taking an aggressive method on return, particularly ought to he get a have a look at a second serve. In accordance with TDI Insights, Zverev is making extra returns than the tour common, all whereas hitting the ball with extra velocity and spin. His return velocity is notably eight mph quicker than the common velocity.

It’s no surprise why on Monday Zverev returned to his career-high No. 2 PIF ATP Rating, which he final was at in August 2022, when he was sidelined with a extreme ankle damage.

Zverev’s Return In 2024:1st In % = 66% (Tour Avg. = 62%) 1st Velocity = 67 mph (Tour Avg. = 59 mph) 1st Spin = 1,735 rpm (Tour Avg. = 1,677 rpm) 2nd In % = 85% (Tour Avg. = 82%) 2nd Velocity = 77 mph (Tour Avg. = 69 mph) 2nd Spin = 2,078 rpm (Tour Avg. = 1,778 rpm)