Andy Roddick almost rolled his eyes when asked to discuss Roland Garros earlier this week, given how early into the season this discussion had arisen.
“I love answering questions about the French Open when we haven’t played a tournament on clay yet,” he began. “It’s my favourite.”
However, for someone who offered such a sarcastic initial response to looking ahead to the future, the American pundit certainly provided an in-depth answer when discussing who he saw as the biggest dark horse for the next Grand Slam in the calendar.
Alexander Zverev backed to challenge for Roland Garros title
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the actual question suggested that, if Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic were not a factor, who he thought would win the Roland Garros title.
Interpreting this as his dark horse, Roddick’s answer was a simple one.
He claimed: “Zverev. I mean, he’s been in the final. He’s won Masters Series on it.
Do you really believe that Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam title?
“Like, you go back and you recreate his career and you take out those names you just said [Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic], and he’s looking at five or six slams. That’s not the way the world works. I wish it did, personally, but, like, yeah, Zverev.
“But then you take those names out of it, and then all of a sudden, you have ten people who are, like, you know, Fils catches a gear, and they’re like, I don’t know, why not?”
Then asked to discuss some of the men’s clay-court specialists, Roddick was again apprehensive as he first stated: “Well, specialist is weird, because that implies that they kind of are only good on clay.”
However, he swiftly ran through the ATP Tour, eventually adding: “Musetti comes to mind. He always plays great on clay.
“Not Meddy on this one. That’s not it.
“It’s so weird because all the same guys play well on every surface now. Musetti was top of mind. I’m sure I’m missing someone.
I mean, Zverev. He’s not a clay-court specialist. It might not even be his best surface.
“Well, he knows how to play. He plays great on clay. Like, he needs more… On that forehand, like, his biggest weakness is what, the forehand? When someone rushes into that side. Clay, you have more time.
“His ball flight is loopy. That plays better on clay. He moves well on clay, especially for someone as big as he is. He would be the safest choice, but, I mean, the odds for 10 players would look significantly different [if not for Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic].”
Zverev lost to Sinner in both Masters 1000 events in March, proving just how tough a task it will be to topple him at a Grand Slam.
Alexander Zverev’s career record at Roland Garros
Last year marked the tenth time that Alexander Zverev had played in the Roland Garros main draw, as he suffered an earlier exit than he had become accustomed to.
After all, in the past four years before 2025, the German had reached at least the semi-finals, including the final in 2024.
There, he led Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one, yet was powerless to stop the Spaniard from roaring back to claim his maiden French Open title.
Do you think Alexander Zverev has what it takes to win a Grand Slam?
Meanwhile, his search for a Grand Slam triumph goes on.
It does feel like Roland Garros is his best chance, as Roddick suggested, due to the conditions masking some of his more obvious weaknesses.
The statistics do back that up too, given Zverev boasts a 79% win rate at the event, his highest at any of the four majors.
He has also reached more semi-finals here than any other Grand Slam, and other than his infamous 2020 US Open final collapse, he has come the closest to winning this title too.
