Andy Roddick has given his verdict on whether Alexander Zverev will win another Grand Slam after his French Open victory.
Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli to win the French Open, claiming his first major final victory after three previous defeats.
The world number three was clearly feeling the pressure during the final, with Zverev suffering with cramp, which he claimed happened for the first time to him in 10 years.
Zverev’s French Open victory has raised questions over whether he can now play more freely at majors, and Roddick has given his verdict on if he will win another Grand Slam title.
Andy Roddick points out the issue Alexander Zverev will still have after his French Open win
Roddick won the US Open in 2003, which was the only Grand Slam title he won in his entire career.
When speaking about Zverev’s victory at the French Open on the latest edition of his ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘ podcast, Roddick admitted that he actually felt more nervous for his last Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, which he lost to Roger Federer.
Roddick then pointed out the issues that Zverev still has against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, which he believes will remain even after his Grand Slam win.
How many more Grand Slams does Alexander Zverev win now?
What a final!
“I don’t know,” said Roddick. “One, I do not care for him. Operation win a Slam has been his life for 10 years. I did not know if we would see it, I really didn’t.
“I hate talking about what is next and not living in his moment. Does this change that match-up against Jannik that is hard for him? I don’t think so. I don’t think he is losing to Jannik because he is tight about winning a Slam. How does that manifest itself in Madrid? I don’t think it does. I think it’s simply that that match-up is really hard for him.
“We can go through the x’s and o’s in a second. Does it make him better day in and day out than Carlos when he’s healthy? I don’t think so, I don’t know if he would tell you that.
“I hope for him that he gets a sense of freedom now. I hope that he opens it up. I remember similar conversations going on when Sergio Garcia won the Masters. [People would say] now he’s going to swing free and he didn’t go and play a match up against a single person.
“It would be like Sergio having to go and play his best golf on his least favourite course and that be the expectation because he won a major.
“I still don’t think that is likely. Will this forever give him a sense of freedom if he loses something? Yeah. Will it be a little happier the day after a loss in the semis or a final? Yeah. Will it be a little easier to navigate if he is in a Slam or is up two sets to one against Carlos or Jannik then, yeah, I think it’s a bit easier in that specific situation.
“But I can speak, I won one and didn’t win one again. I was way more nervous in my last Wimbledon final because I honestly did not know or believe that I would get back there.
“And then you become obsessed with given tournaments. I think this was the one that maybe made the most sense. Does this make him better on grass next week? No. Does it free him up? Yeah. But I think it frees him up generally, I don’t think it affects the match-up against certain players.”
Who is now the best active ATP player without a Grand Slam title after Alexander Zverev’s French Open victory?
Jim Courier names the major champion Alexander Zverev will be hoping to replicate
Zverev has won his first Grand Slam title at 29 years old, which is just one year older than when Stan Wawrinka won his first major at the Australian Open in 2014.
Jim Courier believes that Zverev will be hoping to replicate Wawrinka, who is now a three-time Grand Slam champion.
“You hope this takes the straitjacket it seems he was wearing in moments like this and removes it forever,” Courier said live on TNT Sports.
“If you are a Sascha Zverev fan what you hope and want is for him to have a Stan Wawrinka type finish for his career. He is a late major winner like Stan and Stan won three.”
Like Wawrinka, Zverev has also struggled at Wimbledon in his career, having never surpassed the fourth round before, and may have to wait until the US Open if he wants to add to his Grand Slam collection.
