Zverev’s Grand Slam hopes require "strong decisions," says Justine Henin

Justine Henin addressed the "big disappointment" of Alexander Zverev following his elimination from the US Open. The current world No. 2 reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows but fell to local favorite Taylor Fritz, 6-7(2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(3).

According to 7-time Grand Slam champion Henin, ‘Sascha’ Zverev has played too many tournaments throughout the season and, if he wants to win a major, he must make “strong decisions.”

After the US Open draw, the lower half was led by Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. The Serbian unexpectedly lost in the third round to 28th seed Alexei Popyrin, clearing the way for Zverev to potentially reach another final.

However, he faced an inspired Fritz, who seized the opportunity of a more open draw and reached his first Grand Slam final. “Zverev is a disappointment. There were expectations. For me, it’s mainly the manner. I found him extremely defensive,” said Justine Henin.

“At some point, you have to dare more to win a Grand Slam. He came close at Roland Garros, but at the same time, he was far off. Against Fritz, I saw him fall back into his old habits. I think he needs to make strong decisions to win a Grand Slam, particularly regarding his calendar. It was his 73rd match of the season!”

“He can blame his backhand for letting him down, but for me, it goes beyond that. At some point, c—Djokovic is a master at that,” Henin added. “There are a lot of things Zverev has to work on, even though he’s made a strong comeback after his serious injury and is very consistent—he will be second in the world.”

Zverev’s upcoming schedule includes the Laver Cup starting on September 20, followed by the China Open for the Asian swing, where he will be the second seed.