Is the tennis world better now than it was ten years ago? He, who spans two eras, provides the answer.

Recently, Zverev expressed his views on the topic of "Is tennis better now than it was ten years ago?" After all, he is one of the few players with authority who has crossed two eras.

This 28-year-old German star has been active on the ATP tour since his emergence in 2013. He has faced past legends like Nadal and Federer, as well as current top players like Alcaraz and Sinner.

However, what he truly cares about is not the "top of the pyramid" in tennis, but rather the 20 to 30 players just below it, the chasing group. During an interview with the "Nothing Major" podcast, Zverev candidly discussed this topic.

Before clearly stating his views on whether tennis has improved or worsened, Zverev first talked about the differences he perceives: "I always say the biggest difference is that tennis has changed. Now everyone hits the ball very hard, and almost everyone plays in a similar way. There’s no longer the finesse of Roger, nor the topspin of Rafa. Yes, Carlos has a bit of that style, but most others play pretty much the same way; some just play better."

“Sinner's rhythm is very fast; he hits hard; Fritz hits hard; I hit hard too; Draper and Rublev also hit hard. Everyone is just trying to hit the ball as hard as possible. From this perspective, the pace of tennis has indeed quickened. But in terms of the impact of names, the past names like Ferrer, Berdych, Wawrinka, and Del Potro were very prominent and were true stars.”

Next, Zverev provided his conclusion: “In terms of skill, I believe tennis has indeed progressed, and I think the level of players ranked between 15th and 30th has improved. It was rare to see someone like David Ferrer lose to a player ranked 30th in a Grand Slam; that almost never happened.

“Or for someone like Berdych to lose to a player ranked around 20th like Dzumhur; that was also nearly impossible. But now, you see Rublev losing to Cerundolo at the French Open, or Paul defeating Ruud; nowadays, the gap between the top ten and other players isn’t as wide as it used to be.”

Sadly, Zverev has struggled in both eras; he belongs to a generation of extremely unfortunate players—those whose entire careers have been almost entirely denied Grand Slam titles. After all, when they first entered the professional tennis scene, they were surrounded by those dominant tennis giants: the trio of Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic ruled the entire sport.

Shaking their status seemed nearly impossible; the entire tour felt like a long waiting game, waiting for opportunities to arise again.

However, even with the Swiss maestro Federer and the Spanish warrior Nadal having retired, the situation hasn’t become easier for Zverev and his generation—Djokovic continues to dominate, while the rapid rise of Sinner and Alcaraz has established a new "twin star" dynamic.

These two periods—the "Era of the Big Three" and the "New Duel of the Young Stars"—are arguably the most competitive phases in men's tennis, and Zverev unfortunately finds himself caught in between.

To take a step towards higher goals, Zverev has even begun collaborating with Toni Nadal and has publicly expressed his desire for him to become his long-term coach. Zverev has the ability to win a Grand Slam title, but nothing will be easily offered on the path to the highest glory.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)