2024 Rivalries: Alcaraz vs. Zverev | ATP Tour

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2024 Rivalries: Alcaraz vs. Zverev

The duo split their four Lexus ATP Head2Head matches this season

November 26, 2024

To mark the end of another exciting season, ATPTour.com presents our annual “Best” series, which will reflect the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and much more. This week, we review the best rivalries of the year.

It was only fitting that two of the ATP Tour’s top players in 2024, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, would share the honors in their heated rivalry.

The duo met four times, with Zverev raising the bar in their final meeting of the year, improving to 6-5 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series (2-2 in 2024) with Alcaraz. Their rivalry reached new heights this year at Roland Garros, where Alcaraz and Zverev faced off in an absorbing clash.

As part of our annual season, ATPTour.com looks back at all four matches between Alcaraz and Zverev.

CFs Australian Open, Zverev d. Alcaraz 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4

Zverev and Alcaraz reached the Melbourne quarterfinals through very different paths. While Zverev had to endure a tough road, fighting through 17 sets to secure his spot, Alcaraz made it through his first four matches, dropping just one set along the way.

Despite the physical wear and tear of his first matches, Zverev showed no signs of fatigue when he won 6-1, 6-3 and 5-2. On the brink of a victory that would secure his seventh major semi-final, Zverev began to falter under pressure.

Alcaraz took advantage of the opportunity to win five of the next six games and ignite hopes of an epic comeback. However, Zverev regrouped and had an almost impeccable fourth set, with 88% success on his first serves.

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The victory marked an important advance for Zverev, who achieved his first victory over a Top 5 rival in a Grand Slam, after having fallen short on the previous 10 occasions.

“When you’re so close to winning, your brain starts working and it’s not always useful, but I’m happy that I did it in the end,” said Zverev, who would suffer a heartbreaking loss to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after leading by two sets to none. .

CFs Indian Wells, Alcaraz d. Zverev 6-3, 6-1

The clash between Alcaraz and Zverev in the desert will perhaps be remembered for the events that caused a delay of one hour and 48 minutes in the opening stages of the match.

Alcaraz not only beat Zverev with forehand winners, 12 in total. The Spaniard also had to defend himself from an invasion of bees that forced him to call a local beekeeper to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“I saw the sky and there were thousands [de abejas] flying, stuck to my hair, going towards me. “It was crazy,” Alcaraz said of the strange incident.

After the restart, the defending champion began to display the tennis he has accustomed us to in Indian Wells. Alcaraz injected his signature style and easily outclassed Zverev.

The young Spaniard would defeat Jannik Sinner and Medvedev on his way to lifting the trophy for the second consecutive year, extending his winning streak to 12 matches at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

F Roland Garros, Alcaraz d. Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
Both Alcaraz and Zverev overcame significant obstacles to reach the title match at Roland Garros. Alcaraz put aside doubts caused by a forearm injury that had kept him out of Monte Carlo and Rome, while Zverev ended his five-match streak in Grand Slam semi-finals to reach his second singles title match. Major.

In a contest with changes, Alcaraz reserved his most decisive tennis for the fifth set, in which he saved all five break points he faced to maintain his perfect 3-0 record in Grand Slam finals. The quality of the 21-year-old’s return allowed him to limit Zverev’s aggressiveness with his powerful serve. Alcaraz took 12 of the last 15 games and became the youngest man to win a Grand Slam on all three surfaces.

“It has been an incredible job,” Alcaraz told his team at the trophy ceremony. “There were many doubts when coming here and practicing little [debido a la lesión]. “I’m very grateful to have the team I have and the people I have around me.”

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RR Nitto ATP Finals, Zverev d. Alcaraz 7-6(5), 6-4

After the heartbreaking loss suffered in Paris, Zverev was grateful for the opportunity to exact revenge on Alcaraz in Turin, where the Rolex Paris Masters champion entered their matchup in the group zone of the season-ending event on a seven-game winning streak.

Zverev, who had won each of his two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes with Alcaraz on indoor hardcourts, made sure to maintain that form with a straight sets victory. The 27-year-old was relentless in all aspects during the one hour and 57 minute battle. Zverev recorded eight break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and held serve intact for the fourth straight match.

“He’s beaten me too many times this year in important matches, so I’m happy to have gotten this one,” Zverev reflected after his victory.

Zverev’s winning streak and his quest for a third title at the Nitto ATP Finals came to an end in the semifinals, where he suffered his fourth consecutive loss to American Taylor Fritz.