A Z that stands for Zverev

Power to the youth ! If Federer and Nadal have dominated the start of the season, Alexander Zverev, the leader of the « next gen », has dominated Djokovic in Rome, and has taken the first spot of our weekly ranking.

Power to the youth ! If Federer and Nadal have dominated the start of the season, Alexander Zverev, the leader of the « next gen », has dominated Djokovic in Rome, and has taken the first spot of our weekly ranking. He’s in front of the Serb and King Roger, who won’t take part in Roland-Garros, but who attended Pippa Middleton’s wedding as a VIP.

1- Alexander Zverev (NE).

Bim, bam, boom, Zverev is in the house ! The German has beaten the odds in Rome, and has dominated Novak Djokovic in the final.

A final during which he played his best tennis.

The very young Alex, and his teenage looks, thanked practically everyone : his parents, the organizers, the fans…

A win which enables him to enter the top 10 and to become the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 since…Djokovic, 10 years ago.

At last, the future is here !

2- Novak Djokovic (+8).

Djoko is back on form and smiling again, which is pleasant to see. Thanks to his son’s support…

… but also his family’s…

… and… God’s ?

The day before turning 30 in Rome, the Serb has played his second final of the season, after Doha at the very start of the year. A lost final, sure, but this week has been a promising one. Finally.

Djoko is finally back at a great level, and has produced a major performance in the semi-final against Thiem.

Very promising, especially as he has just announced his future collaboration with Andre Agassi.

3- Roger Federer (+12).

Meanwhile, Roger Federer has saddened his fans - especially the French - by announcing that he wouldn’t play Roland-Garros this year. The Swiss wishes to focus on Wimbledon and the US Open, two of the Gran Slam tournaments where he is usually more efficient.

It’s nevertheless a huge blow for the organizers of the French Open…

King Roger however remains one of the headliners of today’s tennis, and has been on the cover of gossip magazines last weekend, after attending Pippa Middleton’s very glamorous wedding with his wife.

Class, don’t you find ?

4- Elina Svitolina (NE).

In this surprising tennis season, where it’s sometimes difficult to point out the favorites, a revelation seems to emerge on the WTA circuit : Elina Svitolina, who won in Rome.

Her improvement is outstanding, with already a fourth trophy lifted this season, for the one who turned pro seven years ago !

Her mother must be very proud.

5- Maria Sharapova (NE).

In Rome, Sharapova was one of the attractions of the tournament. Well, that’s how she at least presented by the organizers.

Except that the Russian was knocked out in the second round, and was forced to take a break which she hadn’t really planned.

Sharapova’s return to the competition has been difficult, as she hasn’t been invited to Roland-Garros, and will have to go through the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon. Enough to make her slightly philosophical…

6- Daniela Hantuchova (NE).

Weather forecast : Daniel Hantuchova has announced the upcoming summer. It’s getting hot in here, right ?

The Slovakian can also pull off a good girl look.

Hand heart.

7- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (NE).

Meanwhile, daddy « Jo » has been training hard to get back to his best level. Time is starting to running out, until his next goal : Roland-Garros.

The Frenchman hasn’t forgotten to take his new role as a father more than seriously.

8- Rafael Nadal (-7).

After his triumph in Madrid, Rafael Nadal thought he could reproduce the same performance in Rome, with a level of tennis which remained extremely impressive.

The Spaniard was however defeated, to the surprise of many, as early as the quarter finals, by Dominic Thiem. But this start of the 2017 season has inspired his fans.

9- David Goffin (NE).

We’ll also have to focus on David Goffin at the French Open.

The Belgian looks comfortable playing on clay. Even if he ended up being defeated by Marinc Cilic in the third round in Rome.

10- Bobby Riggs/Billie Jean King (NE).

The tennis and cinema news have been densely mixing up lately. First with the film The Battle of the sexes, which will come out soon, and which will be based upon the very hyped mixed confrontation between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in 1973. The poster and the trailer have just been released.

The film is supposed to come out in theaters on September 22nd.

11- Borg/McEnroe (NE).

The second film is Borg vs. McEnroe, directed by the Swede Janus Metz Pedersen, who, as the name suggests will focus on the mythical rivalry between the two players, and will be centered around the 1980 edition of Wimbledon.