“I deserve credit”: Zverev, proud after his great victory against Shelton at the ATP Finals

ByDavid Mitchell
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Alexander Zverev (3rd in the world ranking) defeated Ben Shelton (6th) by 6-3 and 7-6 (6), after one hour and 33 minutes of action, at the opening of the Bjorn Borg Group in the ATP Finals 2025. He is the qualifier with the most wins in this edition and the tenth in history with Stefan Edberg and Jimmy Connors.

It should be remembered that the German had questioned his participation in the competition in Turin due to an inflammation he suffered in the affected ankle in that semifinal match at Roland Garros 2022 (against Rafael Nadal). This, after falling decisively to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Shanghai Masters 1000, 6-0 and 6-1.

However, after the great victory against Shelton in the debut of the ATP Finals, Zverev spoke at a press conference and told how his ankle has evolved: “I have felt good and right now I can go match by match. In Vienna I felt good and in Paris too until I played the long match against Medvedev, then my ankle swelled. I couldn’t move it well during the match against Sinner, and he makes you play at 200% all the time. Now I have some time to recover, I saw my surgeon in Munich after Paris and it’s good to have two days off now. I’m already waiting for the next games, which are going to be complicated“.

Then he added: “I have controlled the things I could, he is one of the most aggressive players there is. Sometimes the points depend much more on him than on you, but I am happy because I have done all the things I could well. He often makes incredible shots, but he takes risks all the time. At his age I did not play so aggressively and I did not have his shots or his serve. At 6-3 in the tiebreak I made very good returns, especially at 6-4 and I think I deserve credit for that. I controlled all the things I could.

Sascha’s next rivals at the closing of the Round Robin of the ATP Finals will be Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner himself.

All the ATP Finals activity can be followed LIVE, and exclusively, on the AM850 and Disney+ Premium Plan screens.

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.