Men's Tennis may have found it's next star in 18-year-old Alexander Zverev, as the young German is proving himself one of the upcoming players to watch out for in the sport.
Zverev fell short to the world's fifth ranked Rafael Nadal in three sets at Indian Wells, but he showed what tennis fans across the globe have to look forward to. He took an earlier lead over the 14-time Major winner with a 7-6 win in the first set but would lose the next two sets 6-0, 7-5 to one of the greatest tennis players to ever play the sport.
While Zverev was unable to get the win over the world's fifth ranked tennis player, he continued to prove why he belongs in the discussion as a potential future tennis star with his play at Indian Wells. Prior to his matchup with Nadal, Zverev took down the world's 16th ranked tennis player Gilles Simon in two straight sets 6-2, 6-2.
"I thought I played really well today," Zverev said following his match with Simon. "I think I was really aggressive. Hit a lot of winners. Beating someone like Gilles 6-2, 6-2 is something that gives me a lot of confidence for myself. He's such a great player and such a tough competitor as well."
The 18-year-old German is currently ranked 58th in the world, but he should be moving up the rankings in 2016 and will be a tough draw for anyone in future tennis tournaments. Former Major winner and once number one ranked tennis player Andy Roddick used his social media to comment on the upcoming tennis star, writing, "Zverev is so legit it's scary."
At 6-foot-6, Zverev puts power behind his serve regularly smashing serves over 130 mph on his first serve, and he is becoming and impressive opponent on the baseline. With age, the talented tennis player will surely become a star to watch out for, and his play at Indian Wells is likely just the start for the young man, as he is clearly someone to keep an eye on as fans get ready for the Major Tournaments this upcoming summer. Many expect Zverev to crack the top-50 following his matches at Indian Wells, and don't look for him to stop there, as he will likely continue to climb up the rankings in the coming years.
