Alexander Zverev's diminishing Grand Slam chances: Does the German's concerning record in five-setters paint a worrying picture after Wimbledon exit?
Alexander Zverev suffered another blow to his maiden Grand Slam bid after bowing out of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The German lost to Taylor Fritz in the fourth round in London on July 8.
Alexander Zverev came to the Wimbledon Championships after a semifinal finish at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. He continued his good form at the grasscourt Major, defeating Roberto Carballes Baena, Marcos Giron, and Cameron Norrie in straight sets. The fourth-seeded German came up against No. 13 seed Taylor Fritz in the fourth round and made a confident start to the contest.
He broke Fritz at 4-5 in the first set and held his serve in the next game to take the first set. Both men held their serves in the second set without facing a breakpoint, and the German took the set away from the American on the third set point. Just as Zverev looked on his way to his maiden quarterfinal at Wimbledon, Fritz roared back into the contest over the next three sets to turn over the deficit and win the match 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
The result was another crushing loss for the 27-year-old, who was also unable to convert his comfortable leads in crucial matches at the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year. Zverev lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal at Melbourne despite having a two-sets-to-love lead over the Russian. Then, in Paris, the German squandered an even bigger opportunity.
He was facing Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the 2024 French Open and led the young Spaniard two sets to one. But once again, Zverev crumbled under pressure and allowed Alcaraz to make a comeback and win his maiden clay slam title. These results, and now his ouster from Wimbledon after leading Fritz two sets to love, indicate a bigger problem for the German.
Alexander Zverev was among the brightest stars in the tennis world when he burst onto the scene in 2018 and has been tipped for Grand Slam glory for a long time. He has had his fair share of shots to win a Major. The former World No. 2 lost to Dominic Thiem in the final of the 2020 US Open, again after blowing a two-sets-to-love lead.
As aforementioned, this pattern of losing in five sets has continued, diminishing his chances of Zverev ever winning a Grand Slam. Closing out a match is tough in any tournament, and it becomes even tougher at Grand Slams, especially in the final. Zverev's inability to convert his substantial leads in these title contests is evidence that he is not at the level required to win a Major just yet.
The rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner further trim Alexander Zverev's Grand Slam chances
Alexander Zverev arrived on the tennis scene in the Big Three era. He did very well to make a name for himself at a time when his peers, like Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, were also rising on the ATP Tour. Zverev won the ATP Finals in 2018 and 2021 and six Masters 1000 titles.
Additionally, he finished as a runner-up at Grand Slams twice and reached the semifinals six times. While Zverev still has a shot at winning a Major, his job has become much harder considering the current talent pool on the tour. Next-gen stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Australian Open and French Open in 2024, respectively, are above Zverev in the pecking order in any Grand Slam favorites list.
Then there is Novak Djokovic, who is always a threat, and other big names like Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Holger Rune, who are more than capable of hurting Zverev's chances. While he is a long way from calling it quits, Alexander Zverev's consistent failure at the biggest stage creates a scenario where the most talented male player to come out of Germany since Boris Becker will most likely have zero Grand Slam titles in his trophy cabinet.