After losing to Jannik Sinner in the Madrid Open final, Alexander Zverev claimed he was on the same level as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Zverev argued there were three tiers of players: 1) Sinner, 2) Himself, Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, and 3) The rest of the field.
Who will win the 2026 Italian Open?
A stacked field in Rome!
Former WTA star CoCo Vandeweghe completely disagrees with Zverev.
CoCo Vandeweghe believes Alexander Zverev’s comments are ‘unfair’ and discusses his ego
During the latest episode of ‘The Big T Podcast‘, Vandeweghe delivered her verdict on Zverev’s comments.
“I think it’s a non-starter,” she said.
“Sascha [Zverev] is not in the same conversation as Jannik [Sinner], Carlos [Alcaraz], or Novak [Djokovic], because of the one thing that he’s missing, a Grand Slam.
Comparing the ATP top four
| Player | Grand Slams | ATP Rank | ATP Titles |
| Novak Djokovic | 24 | 4th | 101 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 7 | 2nd | 26 |
| Jannik Sinner | 4 | 1st | 28 |
| Alexander Zverev | 0 | 3rd | 24 |
“He’s not a Grand Slam-winner, has been close, for sure, has been three in the world, two in the world, for a long time, but that elusive Grand Slam, that’s what changes the difference of who becomes a Hall Of Famer.
“Do you have that Grand Slam title?
“Because there are plenty of world number ones who never won a Grand Slam, [Marcelo] Rios being one of them that comes straight to mind, who won’t be a Hall Of Famer, because he doesn’t have that Grand Slam.
“So I think it’s not fair to the accomplishments of Novak, Carlos, and Jannik that Sascha would even think that he’s in that same category.
“I think that’s a completely separate category.”
Vandeweghe did, however, admit that Zverev ranks higher among ‘contenders’ in today’s game.
“Now, if we come to contenders, I think he is number three if everyone is healthy, Jannik, Carlos, Sascha,” she said.
“Only because we haven’t seen Novak, but you can never count out the great champion Novak Djokovic.
“Novak, out of respect, needs to be ahead of Sascha, but just because we haven’t seen anything, it means that you have got to put a little bit of a question mark.
“I think it’s unfair for Sascha to even think that he’s in that realm, and to your question of ‘Do you think he meant it that way?’, I absolutely think he meant it that way, I think he absolutely has the ego.
“I’m not saying you don’t need it; it’s a great illusion, otherwise, you’ve lost before you step out of the locker room.
“That’s the hardest part as a player, to believe that you belong.”
Do you really believe that Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam title?
Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Mark Petchey, was also keen to share his thoughts.
“It does seem a little bit like he’s trying to build a fortress around himself as he heads into Roland Garros, because he knows he’s in a good position from a seeding point of view,” he said.
“If that is his way, congrats, and if it works out, I would be so happy for him, because I do think he deserves a major, I really do.
“If it’s through hard work, he’s put the hours in.
“You could argue, ‘Has he changed enough, has he explored enough in his game?’
“That’s a different question.
“But does he go out there every night and put in the work?
“100%.
“So if you are supposed to earn it, he’s definitely done the work.”
Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam failures
Zverev is widely regarded as the greatest player to have never won a Grand Slam title.
The German has played three major finals and lost all three.
Alexander Zverev’s record in Grand Slam finals (0-3)
- 2020 US Open final [LOSS] vs Dominic Thiem
- 2024 French Open final [LOSS] vs Carlos Alcaraz
- 2025 Australian Open final [LOSS] vs Jannik Sinner
He came closest to major glory six years ago in New York, when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets to love in the US Open final.
But the pressure got to him, and he lost in a deciding fifth set tiebreaker.
Zverev returned to a Grand Slam final four years later in Paris, taking on Alcaraz.
Again, he established a lead before losing in five sets, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 1-6, 2-6.
His third and most recent major final appearance came a year ago, where he lost to Sinner in straight sets.
Will he reach a fourth Grand Slam final this year? Only time will tell.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
