Alexander Zverev doesn’t like Gawain.
This is an affirmative sentence.
And he was not prepared to hide this.
He has always been a proud man, growing up under the gaze of praise and expectations. From tennis academy to teenagers and then to professional, he has always been successful. Among his peers, he has shown his temperament as a tennis king early on, and has a smooth journey. Shun Shui has never left the focus.
In April 2014, after reaching the age of seventeen and meeting the ATP's minimum age limit, he immediately turned professional and kicked off his career.
Brilliant, still——
In 2009, he was the youngest challenger champion after Tomic; in 2004, he was the first 17-year-old player to defeat the top 20 players in the world after Gasquet; in 2006, he was the first 17-year-old player to advance to the semi-finals of the ATP Tour after Cilic. Year-old player; the first 17-year-old player to rank among the top 150 at the end of the year after Nadal and Gasquet in 2003.
the youngest.
first place.
Seventeen.
Although his career has just started, surrounding these keywords, he is still the strongest of the new generation, carrying the hope of the "post-95s".
The media, coaches, fans...even the opponents were all expressing the same thoughts, and the whole world was filled with praise and affirmation.
Early on, keywords such as "future world number one", "Grand Slam champion", "history maker", etc. have been tied to the name "Alexander Zverev".
pressure?
He didn't care. On the contrary, he enjoyed the cheers and aura. He enjoyed the praise and attention, as if he were standing in the center of the world.
The spotlight belongs to him.
No matter where he goes, his aura always follows him, attracting fans and attracting attention, even in the Grand Slam Masters.
The German media cheered that after Becker and Graf, the hope for the revival of German tennis rests on the shoulders of this 17-year-old young man.
How wonderful.
The feeling was like standing on the top of a mountain, with all the people surrendering and everyone prostrate on the ground, waiting hard for him to change the fate of the entire sport.
but!
Gawain appears.
His world is like a castle in the sand. It seems grand and gorgeous, but it falls apart in an instant. He tries his best to save it, but it only accelerates its destruction.
Last July, they competed together on the challenge stage——
Although he lost that game, he didn't care. He believed that he was just careless and his performance was abnormal because he underestimated the enemy. When they fight again, he can prove himself and he can prove it with actual actions. I am the representative of the new generation "post-95s".
However……
After that, in just one month, the world turned upside down, and all sight, all light, and all focus rushed towards Gawain.
Even the German media is no exception.
He deeply felt as if he had been abandoned by the world, even forgotten, and no one cared about him anymore, just growing mold and mushrooms in a dark corner.
When the 2014 season ended, the professional tennis media were still lamenting that Zverev became the youngest player in the top 150 in the world rankings, and became the first player after Nadal and Gasquet. A seventeen-year-old boy who has accomplished such a feat again in exactly ten years.
137.
This was his year-end world ranking, but when he looked at this number, he couldn't laugh. He even felt that it was a shame. "137" was laughing at his embarrassment and incompetence——
Coric, the youngest player in the world's top 100, is only five months older than Zverev.
Gao Wen is the youngest player in the top ten in the world. He is also the youngest player since Nadal in 2004 to complete the feat of ranking among the top ten in the world.
And Gawain is only one year older than Coric.
Without contrast, there is no harm.
"137", the praises, affirmations, and expectations surrounding this number all turned into ridicule, ridicule, and attack in Zverev's eyes.
For this reason, throughout the offseason, he worked hard and gritted his teeth, trying to make a splash and win back his crown after the start of the new season.
But...but!
After the new season kicked off, everyone knew about Gawain's story. Even if he was hiding at the end of the world, the overwhelming news ensured that everyone heard about it.
So, what about little Zverev?
In the 2015 season, he tried to leave the challenge stage and launch an impact on higher-level ATP events, such as Grand Slams and Masters, to truly participate in professional competition.
The reality is counterproductive. From the beginning of the Australian season, he has been unable to break through the qualifying rounds and is struggling. The more impatient he is, the more unsatisfactory he is.
anger.
envy.
resentment.
disgust.
Frustrated.
It's really unimaginable that last July, they were still players at the same level, and eight months later, that guy was already out of reach.
Life is completely different.
To be precise, little Zverev hated Gawain because Gawain took away everything that should have belonged to him, as if he had stolen his life.
In Indian Wells, little Zverev still came to participate in the qualifying round, hoping to pass two rounds of tests, advance to the main draw, and win his own light on the stage of the fifth Grand Slam.
Then he saw Gawain.
That despicable, insidious, self-righteous, arrogant villain just stood in the middle of the road, blocking everyone's way of coming and going, as if the entire universe had to revolve around him, with that bright smile and proud eyes, overflowing with emotion. With the arrogance of a villain who succeeds.
"He must have felt like he was the sun."
Little Zverev still believes that his performance will definitely not be inferior to Gawain. No, to be precise, his career will definitely be better than Gawain.
He firmly believes that he just needs a little time and accumulation, and his talent, ability, and strength will shine.
Assuming that at this moment, he was given a chance to go onto the court with Gawain and start a duel, he believed that he could defeat this arrogant guy.
Hum, he arrogantly occupied the main road and obstructed public order, and then apologized hypocritically. His hypocritical smile seemed sure that others would buy it, but he didn't know that every move and every expression on his body revealed greasiness and arrogance, which is disgusting. My stomach was already turning.
Little Zverev didn't even look at it, glanced away, and muttered in a low voice.
"Tsk, what's so great about it."
The wind blew the sound away, and before Gawain had time to react, Dimitrov's expression dropped without any warning.
"What did you say?"
Little Zverev was a little surprised, but looking at the dog-legged Dimitrov, he became more and more disdainful of Gawain. Is that guy hiding behind his friend like this? Let his friend do the dirty work so he can continue to act like a nice guy? The wishful thinking is really cracking.
Is Zverev afraid?
of course not.
He simply stopped and turned around, "I said, what's so big? Do high-ranking players have privileges? Low-ranking players can also use the practice field, okay? You guys are occupying the main road and disturbing public order. And then you want other players to shut up and not allow accusations?"
The edge is revealed.
(End of chapter)
