PressSplit
Review: Alexander Zverev (l.) defeated Novak Djokovic in the final of the year-end tournament in London in 2018. The ATP Finals will be held in Turin for the first time since 2001 without Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. © Imago Sportfotodienst GmbH
(sid). Miroslav Klose missed another win when he reunited with his old love 1. FC Kaiserslautern. 1. FC Nürnberg, coached by the 2014 world champion, had to be content with a 0-0 draw on the twelfth matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga – with a win, the fourth in the last five games, the club would have secured itself in the top group.
However, FCK keeper Julian Krahl made several saves against the superior Franconians, who are currently sixth in the table with 18 points.
Meanwhile, Hamburger SV continues to weaken in the promotion race. Coach Steffen Baumgart’s team lost 1:3 (0:1) to relegation candidate Eintracht Braunschweig. Rayan Philippe led Braunschweig to victory with a brace (35th/65th). Fabio Di Michele Sanchez (49th) also scored against a harmless Hamburg team who were only able to shorten the score through Lukasz Poreba (73rd).
The final of the DFB Cup will be played in Berlin on May 23, 2026. The first round of the cup is scheduled for August 15th to August 18th, which is, as usual, a week before the first matchday in the Bundesliga. In addition, the champions and cup winners of the current season will play for the Supercup on August 16th. The opening game of the 2nd league takes place on August 1st.
Despite all his health problems, everything seems possible again for the 27-year-old at the glorious tournament of the eight best professionals of the season. “Here I know that if I don’t play my best tennis from the first point, I have no chance of winning,” said the world number two, who will meet his French Open final conqueror Carlos Alcaraz in the preliminary round. “That’s perhaps an attitude that I have to take with me into the Grand Slams.”
For him, the start at the ATP Finals is something special. »From the first match you play against one of the eight best players in the world. I know this is a big problem of mine. At other tournaments,” said Zverev. He recalled that he often failed against the best at the Grand Slams because he left too much strength in the previous rounds. And despite the exclusive field of participants in Turin, everything is now possible because it particularly motivates him.
The ATP Finals begin with group games that are unusual in tennis. A maximum of five matches remain for the almost US Open winner from 2020 this year. Three preliminary round games, a possible semi-final and final. Zverev will have to combine all his forces again. Strength that seemed to be running out of him over the past few months.
A knee injury first slowed him down at Wimbledon. Then the German number one dragged himself through the summer and late summer, battered and strangely weak, with a drop in performance, fever and cough. The Olympics ended with a disappointing quarter-final exit, as did the US Open. Pneumonia was only discovered at the end of September.
Instead of canceling the season and concentrating on 2025 and the renewed hunt for the first Grand Slam title, he continued playing. And found “his best form shortly before the ATP Finals in Turin,” as tennis icon Boris Becker noted. Zverev won more matches than anyone else this season (66) and climbed back to second place in the world rankings. His Masters 1000 title in Paris last Sunday was impressive. It was a sign of respect for the competition, which is now likely to be stronger.
»I was very satisfied with the level in Paris. Of course it’s important to come here with a title,” said Zverev. He is looking forward to the difficult challenge. “Everyone who is here has a chance to win.”
Zverev has already won the year-end tournament twice. 2018 in London after a semi-final victory over Roger Federer and a final victory against Novak Djokovic. And in Turin in 2021. At that time he triumphed in the final against Daniil Medvedev – in the semifinals he had defeated Djokovic.
This time, for the first time in 23 years, none of the big three will be there. The fact that Djokovic is missing alongside Federer, who has long since retired, and Rafael Nadal, who is almost retired from tennis, once again documents the approaching end of an era. Djokovic qualified, but the record Grand Slam winner opted out. “It feels different,” said Zverev. The protagonists are now world number one Jannik Sinner, whom Zverev can only meet in the semi-finals at the earliest, and Alcaraz (3rd). »They both won two Grand Slams this year. They are easily the two best players in the world. You have to beat them to win the tournament,” said Zverev: “I think that will be the case here too.” Zverev starts on Monday evening (8.30 p.m./live Sky) against the hot-blooded outsider Andrej Rublev.
(sid). After just one short stint in just over two months, benchwarmer Mats Hummels from AS Roma has apparently had enough. According to Italian media reports, the 2014 world champion wants to leave the club in January and is considering a return to the Bundesliga.
»Mats is sitting on the bench again: the team is amazed. The mystery as to why Hummels is not deployed remains. “Nobody can now pretend that the problem doesn’t exist,” said the “Corriere dello Sport.”
According to the daily newspaper, the long-time Dortmund player is annoyed that he was not used in the Europa League match against Union Saint-Gilloise (1-1) on Thursday evening – even though former Frankfurt player Evan Ndicka was unavailable in central defense. Hummels has only played in the 5-1 defeat against AC Fiorentina, four minutes after coming on as a substitute the new signing scored the final score with an own goal.
The 35-year-old could be given hope by the fact that coach Ivan Juric still has to worry about his job. Speculation about a possible successor is ongoing. According to “Gazzetta dello Sport”, the club’s management has already started talks with Italy’s former national coach Roberto Mancini, who is on the market after the termination of his contract as national coach in Saudi Arabia.
The 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri, who recently opened the door to a resignation, is considered an alternative. The name Frank Lampard was also mentioned. After twelve match days, Roma are only in the bottom half of the Italian Serie A table with a meager 13 points. This is well below the expectations of US owner Dan Friedkin, who is controversial among fans.
(sid). Coach Antonio di Salvo is relying on three new players for the German U21 national team’s upcoming international matches alongside the returnee Youssoufa Moukoko. For the first time, di Salvo called up the recently strong Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt), Tom Bischof (TSG Hoffenheim) and Aljoscha Kemlein (Union Berlin). The heavily sought-after Heidenheimer Paul Wanner is also back with the U21.
The debutants “deserved the nomination through very good performances,” explained Di Salvo, who nominated the former Dortmund player Moukoko for the first time after his move to OGC Nice.
Wanner, who is in focus because his national team decision between Germany and Austria is still open, is back after his starting eleven debut against Poland.
After successfully qualifying for the European Championship in Slovakia (June 11th to 28th, 2025), di Salvo’s team has friendly games against Denmark next week (November 15th) and four days later against France.
In the Europa League against Union Saint-Gilloise, Mats Hummels (M.) only sits on the bench at AS Roma, although central defender Evan Ndicka was injured. Apparently he is drawn back to the Bundesliga. © Imago Sportfotodienst GmbH
