BERLIN – German tennis star Alexander Zverev does not intend to
wait until the big three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak
Djokovic retire before making his grand slam breakthrough.
"If I win a grand slam, I want to be the best player in the world and
not win because they have quit," Zverev said in Buenos Aires ahead of
an exhibition match with Federer on Wednesday.
Zverev predicted at last week's ATP Finals in London that - at long
last - a new name would win one of the four majors in 2020 to break a
streak dating from 2017.
Federer agreed. "We know that from year to year it is always harder
to share the grand slams between the big three," he said. "It would
not surprise me to see a new champion.
"I hope to be among them once more. But the time of the young players
will come, perhaps next year already. I could live with it, they are
all good enough."
Zverev, like Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, were all eliminated in the
group phase of the finals which were won by 21-year-old Greek
Stefanos Tsitsipas.