Three things Alexander Zverev must do to finally win a Grand Slam

There is still time for Alexander Zverev to secure a maiden Grand Slam title, but it will probably not happen unless he makes certain changes.

Zverev has enjoyed an outstanding career. He is an Olympic gold medalist, two-time ATP Finals winner, seven-time Masters 1000 champion, and has been the No. 2-ranked player multiple times.

However, many will consider his career incomplete if he does not win at least one Grand Slam title. Despite his significant natural talent, Zverev is unlikely to achieve that without making some alterations.

Zverev's game is ideally suited to being aggressive. The German has one of the best first serves in tennis, and his backhand, even with the rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, remains as good as any at attacking.

For a man who stands at six feet and six inches tall, Zverev's movement is very impressive. Against most players on the ATP Tour, he can afford to play within himself, extend the rallies, and still prevail.

But that mindset is also prevalent against the best players, repeatedly harming him when facing them. As Roger Federer said, Zverev hopes his top opponents will make enough mistakes when having more belief and seizing the initiative is required to win Grand Slams.

In the 2020 US Open final, Zverev led by two sets and served for the title against Dominic Thiem. The Austrian, who had lost all three of his Grand Slam finals before the match, was very nervous and did not play well in the fifth set, but an even more defensive-minded Zverev still lost.

The 28-year-old led Alcaraz after three sets of the 2024 French Open final, but the more courageous Spaniard dominated the last two sets to win. He also allowed Sinner to dictate the rallies in the 2025 Australian Open final.

Zverev's passiveness reached a new level in his four-set 2025 French Open quarterfinal defeat against Novak Djokovic. A Grand Slam title will almost certainly remain elusive if he refuses to change that approach.

Some fans enjoy watching Zverev's interviews and press conferences at tournaments because he speaks his mind. That can be refreshing, since many athletes do not like saying much to protect their image.

At the same time, Zverev complains as much as anyone, and it increasingly feels he is consistently aggrieved about something. The multiple-time ATP Finals winner has repeatedly criticized the calendar's length, a position held by many others.

But Zverev's irritation goes further. At the 2025 Shanghai Masters, he claimed that courts are being made similar to suit Sinner and Alcaraz, which baffled Sinner when asked about it.

He has also mentioned the quality of balls used at tournaments. Although Zverev's analysis of how manufacturers have cut their costs since the COVID-19 pandemic was interesting, he and Daniil Medvedev, who also complains about the balls, might be better off focusing on themselves.

Sinner and Alcaraz, who have split the last eight Grand Slams, will probably get even better in the coming years. If Zverev wants to retain any hope of not falling behind, staying internally centered would help him.

The former world No. 2 has worked with his father for many years. Zverev's achievements mean the role he played in making him successful and a worldwide name should not be downplayed or dismissed.

However, Zverev's inability to stay aggressive on significant stages and his mind wandering to external factors in interviews and press conferences could be fixed by hiring someone who has been successful and commands respect.

Zverev might respond that he tried this approach when he worked with 2003 US Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, who became Alcaraz's coach and mentor, from 2017 to 2018, and eight-time Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl, who successfully coached Andy Murray, from 2018 to 2019.

Rather than viewing those brief tenures as failures, Zverev should reflect on whether he would have been better served staying with them, and whether he now needs a successful former player as a coach even more now.

Zverev spent some time working with Toni Nadal, who coached his legendary nephew Rafael for over 25 years, earlier this year. Toni is known for his honesty and could be a decent option if he ever becomes his coach.

Nonetheless, someone who has won Grand Slams would still be the best choice. The German is known to have a big personality and ego, and he may not entirely accept advice from someone outside his family who has not triumphed at Majors.