Former World No 3 David Ferrer has decided to part ways with Alexander Zverev only six months after joining his coaching staff.
Ferrer, a former French Open finalist, had started working with the German star in July 2020.
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“At the end of the year, a decision had to be made,” Ferrer was quoted saying. “I spoke with Sascha and told him that I prefer not to continue, that we were not going to continue next season.”
Though short, it was a sweet run for the Ferrer-Zverev partnership. The 23-year-old Zverev reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open in September. He also defeated Rafael Nadal at the Paris Masters en route a runners-up finish.
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The 38-year-old Spaniard said the reason for their split was personal rather than professional. He did not want to stay away from his family during the pandemic.
“Absolutely nothing has happened between us, everything is still fine, in fact I am very grateful to him for the opportunity he gave me to travel with him during that stretch of the season,” Ferrer said.
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“During those months we had a good coexistence, everything was perfect.
“It is true that the COVID-19 issue puts you back a bit, in addition to the fact that I am also the director of the Conde de Godó Trophy (Barcelona Open) and that takes me a long time.
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“Of course, my family is above all this, there are many things and I want to focus on them first. We believed that the moment was right, but finally not.”
Zverev’s father, Alexander Sr, will continue as his coach on the Tour. In the past Sascha Zverev, has worked with former Slam champions like Ivan Lendl and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
