“Everybody knows how good Alexander is, he’s the future of our sport and the present too,” echoed Rafael Nadal nearly eight years ago, after surviving a five-set thriller against a teenage Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. Since then, that “future” has stormed into back-to-back ATP Finals, collected Masters titles, and carved his name among tennis’s elite, yet still chases that elusive Grand Slam. Now, as the 28-year-old German battles through this year’s ATP Finals, he flips the narrative with raw honesty, confessing in his trademark candor that he has no talent, only relentless grind, blood, and brutal hard work.

In a candid moment captured by Zhihao Will before the ATP Finals, a simple question sparked a storm among the world’s best: what matters more: hard work or

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