"I thought he was Spiderman" - Alexander Zverev lavishes high praise on Carlos Alcaraz after 'high-level' ATP Finals clash ends in Spaniard's exit

Alexander Zverev hilariously dubbed Carlos Alcaraz as 'Spider-Man' after he pushed the German to the limit during their crucial group stage match at the 2024 ATP Finals. However, it was Zverev who managed to clinch the high-stakes encounter 7-6(5), 6-4.

Coming into this encounter, World No. 2 Zverev had won two out of his two matches against Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud respectively, and only needed to win a set to confirm his qualification into the next round. On the other hand, World No. 3 Alcaraz was stunned in straight sets in his first match against Ruud but won in emphatic fashion against Rublev next.

The high-stakes match went into a tiebreaker in the first set and it was Zverev, who edged the Spaniard, who was wearing a nose strip to aid his breathing, to confirm his qualification. He then hit the final nail in the coffin by winning the second set comfortably and ending Alcaraz's 2024 season.

During the on-court interview, Zverev hailed their match as 'incredibly high level' and quipped that the way Alcaraz was playing reminded him of Spider-Man.

“Incredibly high level. Especially in the first set in the tiebreak was ridiculous. There were some points where I thought he was Spider-Man again,” Alexander Zverev said.

Despite being rivals, the two men shared a friendly handshake and embraced each other. The German seemingly was joking to Alcaraz about how the 21-year-old had beaten him 'too much' this year.

Continuing his thoughts during the interview, the 27-year-old reiterated how Alcaraz had defeated him in important matches in 2024, including the French Open final and the Indian Wells Masters quarterfinals, and felt relieved to get a big win over him.

“He beat me too many times this year in important matches so I’m happy I got this one. I feel like we have a pretty good rivalry with a great friendship as well. It’s always nice to play him, except when he beats me. That’s not nice. but sharing the court with him.. he’s a great guy.”

This was the 11th meeting between the two men. After this win, the German leads 6-5.

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Alexander Zverev will face Taylor Fritz in the semifinals of the ATP Finals 2024

Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz after their US Open battle (Source: Getty)

Alexander Zverev will play Taylor Fritz in the semifinals of the 2024 ATP Finals, in what will be the 12th meeting between the two men. The American currently leads their head-to-head 6-5.

Coming into 2024, the German had a 5-3 lead, however, Fritz defeated him in all their three meetings in 2024 coming at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Laver Cup respectively, to take the lead.

The American No. 1 defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to kick off his campaign following which he suffered a defeat to the top seed Jannik Sinner. He also found himself a set down against Alex de Minaur but turned the match around to clinch a spot in the semifinals.

Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud will play each other in the final group stage match of the year-end finals to decide who'll play Sinner in the second semifinals.