The thrill of chasing glory in the clay courts has always been a massive experience for so many players in the ATP Tour today. We have seen how the grind has been over the years, and there are a lot of spectacle that unfolds on the big stage from time to time with the way these games are hyped. For Alexander Zverev, it is indeed a chance to leave his mark in the game.

Two of Alexander Zverev’s seven ATP Masters 1000 titles have come from the Madrid Open, and it is easy to expect that he is definitely gunning for a shot at continuing his impressive pace. As the first-seeded star in the said competition this year, it is expected that he will be aggressive in chasing bigger glory in the Madrid Open now more than ever.

Thriving at the grand stage of the Caja Majica, Zverev is having one of the best years of his career at this point, and one can say that this tournament is his to lose, especially if he wants to sit at the top of the world no. 1 spot and elevate his standing in the game.

Chasing Glory in the Clay Season

The clay season is one of the biggest runs for any player in the ATP Tour. It is a huge gauntlet of massive games in Europe spanning for months, highlighting the challenging environment of being under the beating sun and the unrelenting surface of the clay, which is friendly to no one at this point.

As the world no. 2, Zverev is no stranger to adversity in the game, and he has seen a lot of massive showdowns and have either managed to claim a win or lost it. Learning from the lessons that he’s seen over the years, the German star now has managed to come up with the climb to the world no. 2, and he is seeking to cap off a huge rally that will elevate him to the top.

“Clay is the surface where the biggest differences happen,” said Zverev. “There is a big difference whether it’s 30 degrees or ten degrees, there is a big difference whether it’s raining or it’s completely dry. Big difference obviously in altitude, sea level. When it’s cold, it feels like you’re running with the clay; when it’s hot, it feels like the clay is just on top of the court, like a powder almost, so there are big differences in different courts, also in weather conditions on clay.”

The Chase for a Grand Slam

Everyone knows that Zverev wants to win in Madrid Open so he can set the pace for his game en route to the key Grand Slam tournament in the Roland Garros this May. So far, it has been really impressive for Zverev, and he may well be picking up a strong groove considering that he’s been thriving on clay games.

“Win a Grand Slam. That’s the most obvious answer for me right now,” said Zverev about his biggest goal in the ATP Tour this season. “I would love to stop chasing, get one rather sooner than later. It is just the way my path has been. Been in a few finals already, lost some tough battles. But I'm still here and I'm still going to go for it.”

Zverev has reached the final of every single Grand Slam tournament in the ATP Tour – save for Wimbledon. Last year, he dropped the climb for the French Open in a showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. With high expectations that this would be the same scenario this year, it does seem that Zverev would love to avenge his loss.