“It wasn’t just about tennis” – opponent attacks Zverev

Will Alexander Zverev be able to sleep well after these harsh words? The tennis superstar is on the way to becoming only the second German player after Boris Becker to become number 1 in the world. In Shanghai on Friday he defeated the Chinese Wu Yibing (number 105 in the world) 6:4, 7:6.

After his elimination, the local hero clearly criticized Zverev and his behavior during the hour-and-a-half duel. "There were a few incidents in the game: falls, complaints about the lighting and gestures towards the edge of the net. It wasn't just about tennis," complained Wu.

The Chinese continued: "He obviously did all of this to interrupt my rhythm because I was putting pressure on him. Even though it didn't work for me, I don't like this behavior."

Among other things, Zverev had to survive a moment of shock. When the score was 5:5 in the second set, he twisted his left foot. After a short break he continued. "He hits as hard as he can. That's why the game doesn't depend so much on yourself," said Zverev after the victory and was satisfied.

Wu, on the other hand, let it be known that he would rather play against Carlos Alcaraz than against the 29-year-old German - because the Spaniard is "a bigger challenge". But the Chinese also had words of praise for Zverev in front of journalists in the mixed zone. For example, he highlighted his serve and the “excellent quality of hitting the ball early”.

After his win against Wu, Zverev will face Quentin Halys in the third round. On the way to his Grand Slam triumph at the US Open this late summer, he already met the Frenchman. In a marathon match, Zverev was on the verge of elimination and finally beat Halys 3-2 sets.

Since world number 1 Jannik Sinner had to end his season due to persistent knee problems, the field is clear for Zverev. Last year, both Zverev and Sinner were eliminated in the same third round at the Masters in Shanghai. From Zverev’s perspective, that should change.

Theoretically, Alcaraz and the American Ben Shelton, who defeated the German Daniel Altmaier 6:3, 7:6 (8:6) in Shanghai, could overtake Zverev by the end of the year. To do this, either Alcaraz or Shelton would not only have to win all tournaments, but also register for additional small tournaments. This is considered extremely unlikely.

If Zverev reaches at least the semi-finals in Shanghai, this scenario will also be over. With a tournament victory in China and a place in the semi-finals at the tournament in Vienna (from October 26th), Zverev would take first place in the world rankings for the first time on November 2nd.

And he probably got his important sleep (“I sleep between nine and eleven hours”) after his second round victory. Because for Zverev things don't continue until Sunday.