Alexander Zverev might win four or five Grand Slam titles if the ATP star can overcome the hurdle of winning his first major title, according to former US Open semifinalist Jimmy Arias.
Zverev enters the ATP Finals, starting on Sunday, in great form after winning the Paris Masters. He produced an outstanding performance to crush Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
That triumph also meant he overtook Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 in the rankings. However, Zverev still believes Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner are ahead of him because they split the four Grand Slams this year between them.
The German admits he is already thinking about and trying to implement a plan to improve his game for the Australian Open beginning in January. That is why Zverev hit the practice courts shortly after beating Humbert.
He practices after matches specifically to work on areas of his game that he feels Alcaraz and Sinner, in particular, do better than him, which will give him a better chance of competing against them on the most significant stages.
Zverev has won two ATP Finals titles, seven ATP Masters 1000 events, and an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Regardless of how his career ends, no one can call it a failure.
Two significant achievements have eluded Zverev: winning a Grand Slam title and becoming the world No. 1. The 27-year-old lost the 2020 US Open and the 2024 Roland Garros finals in five sets against Dominic Thiem and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.
Arias is the Director of Tennis at IMG Academies and has also served as a mentor to Danielle Collins, who recently spoke about her decision to not retire at the end of this season being bittersweet.
The 1983 US Open semifinalist told Tennis.com that Zverev's loss from two sets up against Thiem in the 2020 final at Flushing Meadows can only be explained by the German becoming tight in the crucial moments.
"You have a two-set lead on Dominic Thiem on a reasonably quick hard court. You should not lose that match. You have to get tight to lose that match.I think Zverev still hasn't found that little valve that can take the pressure off yourself, get rid of the sense that this match is the most important thing that ever happened to you."
Arias thinks Zverev winning one Grand Slam could have a snowball effect that leads to him securing more major titles. However, Arias acknowledges that it is now more challenging for him to achieve because of Sinner and Alcaraz's improvements.
"Maybe he's a guy that just needs to do it once, and then he'll win four or five majors. But you know things are going to get tougher because I do think [Jannik] Sinner is at another level. [Carlos] Alcaraz can still lose to people, so that's helpful. But when Alcaraz is playing his best, he's also at another level."
Zverev has made his prioritization of the Australian Open in January clear. It remains to be seen whether that approach helps him or adds additional pressure that is a hindrance.