Alexander Zverev claims he's made a very similar change to Roger Federer after 'something in his mind clicked'

Alexander Zverev has been very open and honest about his career this season.

The German hoped to take his game to the next level this season in what was the first full ATP season without both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

The 28-year-old’s greatest tennis wish is to win a Grand Slam, but the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and still Novak Djokovic, have thwarted him in recent times.

As Zverev continues his quest for success at the tennis’ highest level, he has described a change he has made which is similar to Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

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Alexander Zverev made a change similar to Roger Federer to stop losing his temper and smashing rackets

Alexander Zverev is in the process of trying to make changes in his game to help him become a Grand Slam champion.

But the world number three says he has improved another aspect of his game, which comes more from a mentality perspective.

At the Canadian Open, Zverev opened up on how he became better at controlling his temper on court, in a similar way to how Federer did.

The 43-year-old previously would lose his temper and smash some rackets on court early in his career, but he made significant changes to help him become one of the game’s greatest.

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Explaining how he made this change, Zverev said: “I want to be remembered for my tennis. I want to be remembered for what I’ve achieved on the court, for what I’ve done on the tennis court.

“Also for the good things I do outside the tennis court as well. Because I feel like there’s quite a lot of work that I do with my foundation, and with my family as well, which can be beneficial and helps people around the world.

“So I would much rather be known and remembered for that than the outbursts that I used to have, right? Yeah, that’s just something that at some point it just comes.

“It came with Roger as well. Roger used to have outbursts like crazy, and then he changed, he became Roger Federer, he became this perfection that we all know him as now.

“But it wasn’t always that case. But, yeah, something in my mind clicked and decided to, yeah, to be different on the court.”

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Alexander Zverev explains how he would have reacted to frustrations on court a few years ago

There are multiple challenges that come with being a professional athlete, especially being in an individual sport.

With any difficulties tennis players go through on court, players have to experiment on their own, and at times frustrations boil over.

Zverev admitted he was guilty of at times letting his emotions get the best of him a few years ago, but that is no longer the case.

“A few years ago it would have been a broken racquet, for sure. But I don’t break racquets any more,” Zverev added.

“The last time I broke a racquet was two, I think three and a half years ago, that was the last time I broke a racquet. I’m not planning on changing that.

“But, yeah, it was necessary to get it out somehow, because it was a set full of opportunities I feel like. And a lot of unlucky moments also on my side, especially the set point. I mean, the let court was extremely unlucky. Yeah, I just had to let it out and move on.”

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