Alexander Zverev’s ATP World Tour victory over Novak Djokovic is a huge change in men’s tennis

Alexander Zverev has been knocking at the door for a while now, and he’s officially the new face of men’s tennis at age 21, topping first Roger Federer and then Djokovic in the final to win the ATP World Tour event.

Alexander Zverev has been talked about for some time as the new face in men’s tennis after winning two Masters 1000 events last year, at the age of 20.

But on Nov. 18, he won his biggest title yet, the ATP World Tour Finals, first beating Federer in the semis, and followed that up with an even more impressive win over the world No. 1 Djokovic in the final, 6-4, 6-3.

And he did it with a magnificently confident game, clinching the last point with a precision shot that sailed right past the Serb.

And of course he shared it with his adorable dog, who is always on tour with him. I mean, c’mon, how cute is that?

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It was beautiful tennis. It was confident tennis. But most importantly, it was consistent tennis.

Confidence and consistency have been issues that have plagued the young German player. He’s displayed the talent that saw him reach a pinnacle ranking of No. 3 last year, but oftentimes when he’s risen, he has disappointed as well with his follow-through. His best grand slam performance still remains the quarterfinals he got to at the French Open this year.

But he’s 21, the same age Roger Federer won his first grand slam at Wimbledon.

Federer is 37. Rafael Nadal is out recuperating from ankle surgery. And even Djokovic won’t be around forever. They still retain the strangleholds on the majors, but ‘Sascha’s’ breakthrough at the year-end ATP event is a major changing of the guard in men’s tennis.

Zverev is the first player at the ATP Finals to beat both Djokovic and Federer — both of whom have won it five, and six times, respectfully — and the first to knock out the two top seeds (yup, those same two guys) since Andre Agassi in 1990. He became the youngest champion at the event since 2008, defeating the last 21-year-old winner, Djokovic.

Last year was a banner year for Zverev, collecting five big ATP titles, including the Rome and Canadian Masters crowns. But the masterclass and intelligence on display during the Federer and Djokovic matches demonstrated a more nuanced game for the 21-year-old. Zverev played a more aggressive game than we’re used to against the 20-time Swiss champion on Saturday, stunning him at the net and not letting up in a tight second set, which ended with a very awkward ball boy incident and boos from the crowd.

Zverev apologized to Federer at the net about the exchange, but the 37 year-old playfully told him to “shut up.”

And that anecdote illustrates the level of respect the elder statesman have for the young German talent. You could also see it on display during the friendly exchanges between Djokovic and Sascha during the award ceremony.

All friendliness aside, the masterclass performance from the 21-year-old was anything but friendly during the final. Djokovic was the odds-on favorite, of course, going in on Sunday, considering that he had also beaten his younger opponent a few days prior during the round robin exchange. But Zverev came to the final with a completely different approach, making the 14-time slam champ uncomfortable from the start, serving at an efficiently high precision, running the world No.1 all over the court while forcing him to make several errors. Zverev justified all the praise that has been thrown his way with the highest quality match of his life.

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He also had received some sage advice from his new coach, Ivan Lendl, who joined the team off-and-on, around the U.S. Open. The partnership seems to have come together most smoothly recently, and if Lendl’s successful track record with Andy Murray is any indicator, it’s a good bet they will have their eyes set on grand slam achievement going into the new year. Lendl also helped Zverev get over the bad blood with the crowd after the semifinal with Federer.

“As tennis players, we take it personally, this kind of stuff. [Lendl] just said, ‘Look, it’s nothing personal. They’re all Roger fans; he deserves to have the most fans in the world.’ He just told me, ‘Go out here today and enjoy.'”

This year has been about Djokovic’s return back to the top, with two incredible grand slam victories at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. But Zverev’s ATP World Tour win sends a huge signal for the upcoming year. He’s bringing a new A-game to tournaments and he’s fitter than he’s been in the past. If you’re wondering who will take over from the Big Three in men’s tennis, you need look no further than the 6-foot-6 Adonis itching to win his very (likely) first grand slam in 2019.