Alexander Zverev is widely regarded as the greatest player to have never won a Grand Slam.
The German is 0-3 in major finals, losing to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open (6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-7), Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open (3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 1-6, 2-6), and Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open (3-6, 6-7, 3-6).
Do you really believe that Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam title?
He’s been ranked as high as number two in the world, won two ATP Finals titles, seven Masters 1000s, and Olympic gold, but Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam.
However, with the news of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s fitness issues heading into Roland Garros, this might be his best chance yet…
Alexander Zverev must take advantage of his rivals not being at 100% and win the French Open
There is a real chance that Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, skips the French Open.
His wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open.
French Open winners (Since 2020)
- 2020 – Rafael Nadal (Retired)
- 2021 – Novak Djokovic
- 2022 – Rafael Nadal (Retired)
- 2023 – Novak Djokovic
- 2024 – Carlos Alcaraz
- 2025 – Carlos Alcaraz
If he is unable to recover in time for the second Grand Slam of the year, that opens the door for someone else to lift the title.
Looking at the rest of the field, three names immediately come to mind: Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Zverev.
Sinner was a point away from winning last year’s French Open, and Djokovic is a three-time champion.
However, Djokovic, like Alcaraz, is struggling with his fitness.
The Serb will be 39 when the French Open begins and has yet to play a match on clay this year.
He has withdrawn from the Madrid Open and has suggested he might miss the Italian Open as well.
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With that in mind, you’d have to rank him below Zverev and Sinner among the French Open favourites.
So, a month before the French Open begins, there is an argument to be made that Zverev is the second favourite (assuming Alcaraz withdraws).
Looking to break his Grand Slam duck, Zverev simply cannot pass up on this opportunity.
To win Roland Garros, he will likely still need to beat Sinner, which is no mean feat, but infinitely easier than beating Sinner and Alcaraz back-to-back.
It’s also worth mentioning just how well Zverev has played at the French Open.
He was a set away from the title two years ago, and has won 79% of his matches in Paris.
Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | F – 2025 | 36-11 | 77% |
| French Open | F – 2024 | 38-10 | 79% |
| Wimbledon | 4R – 2017, 2021, 2024 | 16-9 | 64% |
| US Open | F – 2020 | 28-10 | 74% |
Alcaraz was the man who stopped him in 2024, but if the Spaniard doesn’t return to defend his title, perhaps Zverev will be the man to take advantage…
How well has Alexander Zverev performed on clay this year?
Zverev began his clay-court campaign with a strong run through to the semi-finals in Monte Carlo.
He defeated Cristian Garin, Zizou Bergs, and Joao Fonseca, before falling short against Sinner.
Then, in Munich, Zverev took down Miomir Kecmanovic, Gabriel Diallo, and Francisco Cerundolo en route to the last four.
There, he lost to another Italian, Flavio Cobolli in straight sets.
Alexander Zverev’s clay-court results (2026)
- Monte Carlo Masters 2R [WIN] vs Cristian Garin, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
- Monte Carlo Masters 3R [WIN] vs Zizou Bergs, 6-2, 7-5
- Monte Carlo Masters QF [WIN] vs Joao Fonseca, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3
- Monte Carlo Masters SF [LOSS] vs Jannik Sinner, 1-6, 4-6
- Munich Open 1R [WIN] vs Miomir Kecmanovic, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6
- Munich Open 2R [WIN] vs Gabriel Diallo, 6-1, 6-2
- Munich Open QF [WIN] vs Francisco Cerundolo, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2
- Munich Open SF [LOSS] vs Flavio Cobolli, 3-6, 3-6
Zverev will be disappointed not to have won either title, but two semi-final appearances can act as a springboard to greater things.
With Djokovic and Alcaraz out of Madrid, Zverev will compete as the second seed in the Spanish capital.
He last won the Madrid Open in 2021, and could be in with a great chance of winning his third title in 2026.
The same can be said of the Italian Open, another event where Zverev has enjoyed success in the past (2017, 2024 champion).
If Zverev can win either event, he will head into Roland Garros with the confidence he needs to overcome his greatest hurdle.
Only time will tell if the German can win his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
