The secret to Zverev's game hiding in plain sight

Alexander Zverev's secret to success is hiding in plain sight.

The 27-year-old is known for his baseline game, especially on the backhand wing. But the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion's serve might even be a bigger weapon.  

Players who come to mind when discussing the world's best servers include Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Reilly Opelka, Hubert Hurkacz, Ben Shelton and Matteo Berrettini. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis shows that last season, Zverev was right near the very top of the list.

The German enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2024, winning a personal-best 69 matches and finishing at his highest year-end PIF ATP Ranking, No. 2. That success can be traced to incremental improvements across the board in his service games.

Most glaringly, Zverev held serve at the best clip of his career, 90.2 per cent, improving from 84.7 per cent in 2023. That is only a 6.5 per cent year-over-year increase, but a seemingly modest increase could make a big difference in our sport.

Zverev's Service Games Won % (2016-2024)

Take for example how often Zverev has won matches without losing serve. Entering 2024, his best season in that statistic had been 2018, when he did not lose serve in 30.1 per cent of his matches.

In 2024, he did not drop serve in an astonishing 40.5 per cent of his matches. The German won all 34 matches he played last season in which he did not lose serve. 

Zverev's % of Matches Without Losing Serve (2016-2024)

What has made the difference for Zverev? The 27-year-old told ATPTour.com in Rio de Janeiro that he changed his technique.

"Changing the ball toss on my serve, and having a more consistent second serve, also," Zverev said. "I think that was the number one factor."

The numbers show that Zverev was right. From 2014-2023, he averaged between 2.7 and 5.7 double faults per match each season. The World No. 2 averaged just two double faults per match in 2024. With improved consistency, Zverev won 55 per cent of his second-serve points last season, the best mark of his career.

"I was losing a lot of matches back in the day because of my serve. That was just a shot generally that I worked on a lot," Zverev said. "It's definitely the shot that I worked on the most."

Zverev's 2024 Serving At A Glance (Tour Rank) MAKE A TABLE

His first-serve percentage (71%) and first-serve points won (77%) were also tied for the best marks of his career. Mark Knowles, a former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, spoke about the German's delivery on Tennis Channel last week.

"Sascha hits a cannon for a first serve," Knowles said. "To have that high of a first-serve percentage is the reason why Sascha Zverev is No. 2 in the world and knocking on the door at all the Grand Slams on various surfaces."

In his first two tournaments of the 2025 season, the United Cup and the Australian Open, Zverev won 90 per cent of his service games and claimed eight of his nine matches, making the final at Melbourne Park, where he fell to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. That was another example of his serve driving success.

But in his next two tournaments on South American clay, Zverev won just 77 per cent of his service games, losing in the quarter-finals in both Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.

Zverev has been a top player since his rise on the ATP Tour nearly a decade ago. When he serves well, though, the German's game is on an entirely different level.

Editor's Note: Statistics do not include Davis Cup, Olympics and Laver Cup.

- Jon Jeraj assisted with statistical research.