Even great players need a helping hand from time to time. That is the case with Alexander Zverev, who has been a staple in the top 10 on the ATP Tour for years and is currently in a struggle for No. 2 with the injured Carlos Alcaraz. It is with a countryman of Alcaraz that the German has sought advice.
Zverev has worked out with Rafael Nadal at the latter's famous academy in Mallorca, Spain. The hope is that Zverev will find the weaknesses in his game that he isn't able to see himself. Some of that includes meeting with Nadal and his uncle Toni, a longtime coach of Rafael's.
The German was seen in a video posted by the Rafael Nadal Academy talking about how practicing there has helped him recently. He took home his first major title by winning the 2026 French Open, and even reached the final of Wimbledon for the first time, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
Alexander Zverev gets a little help from Rafael Nadal
In the video, Zverev says, in part, "I’m here (at the Rafael Nadal Academy) to prepare for (the North American hard-court season), and hopefully I’ll show my best there as well. I love Mallorca in general, so it’s just a great island to be in, I think, in the summer, especially with great preparation. You have a lot of heat here, which you will need in America as well...Uncle Toni is on the court quite a lot with us. Rafa also came twice...I think it was a great help to have him on the court."
Nadal and Zverev have a lot in common as far as playing styles, of course. Their serves could dictate points and the pace of play, though the German's is a tick better, while Nadal's forehand was ridiculously good. That is especially true on clay, and that is the surface where both players reached their highest level of success.
The current ATP No. 2 is certainly evolving, though. Well into his career, he is adapting and making needed changes to help him be better on surfaces he hasn't excelled on previously. The grass courts of Wimbledon were always a challenge for him, for instance, but this year not so much.
Sure, he lost to Sinner, but Sinner has shown to be a better player than Zverev for the most part. The German's cause was also helped by Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon with a wrist injury. The young Spaniard is expected to return for the Cincinnati Open and then the US Open, so Alexander Zverev will once again have the difficulty of beating Sinner and Alcaraz.
Zverev is still to be commended for what he does on the tennis courts, though. Some players might assume they can't improve even after such high-level success. The fact that the German is trying to find ways to improve makes him more dangerous in future tournaments.
