Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open recently, defeating Flavio Cobolli in the final.
In doing so, he silenced many of his doubters who claimed he would never get his hands on one of the sport’s four biggest prizes.
However, question marks over his ability to win more majors remain, as Zverev didn’t beat any of his biggest rivals en route to the title.
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With that in mind, the German might want to consider making a few adjustments to his game with Wimbledon fast approaching.
Tim Henman thinks Alexander Zverev should serve and volley more
Appearing as a guest on ‘Q&Andy‘, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman was asked to name the player he believes should serve and volley more.
“[Alexander] Zverev,” said Henman.
“I think his first serve, he serves at 75% first serves a lot of the time, and when they retreat so far back behind the baseline, your volley doesn’t even need to be that good.
Alexander Zverev’s serving stats (Last 52 weeks)
- Serve rating – 297.1 (6th on ATP Tour)
- 1st Serve % – 72.4% (1st on ATP Tour)
- % 1st Serve points won – 74.9% (27th on ATP Tour)
- % 2nd Serve points won – 55.4% (9th on ATP Tour)
- % Service games won – 87.8% (8th on ATP Tour)
- Average aces per match – 8.4 (22nd on ATP Tour)
“The issue a lot of them have got is that they don’t do it enough in practice.
“Therefore, what happens is they will throw in serve and volley when they’re 4-1, 40-0, and they say, ‘Oh look, I’m working on my volleys’, it’s like, 4-4, 30-30, let’s see if you can volley then!”
Zverev has often been criticised for being too passive when the pressure is on in big moments.
Adding the serve and volley to his arsenal, the world number three could become more aggressive, which could, in turn, boost his chances against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic.
It’s not just Zverev that Henman wants to see serve and volley more, though, as the British tennis legend wants to see the tactic used more frequently by all players.
“I would love to see more players use that tactic, not just because I love to do it, but for the fact that it keeps your opponent guessing,” he said.
“Very few players do it.
“But you’ve got to do that at a young age. Look, volleying is very easy; it’s the most simple shot out there, but you do need to learn it at a young age.
“I don’t think the strings these days are conducive, and you’ve got to have a little bit of talent as well. But I think if you can learn it at 13, 14, it can serve you in good stead later on.”
Henman used the serve and volley technique to great effect during his playing career, especially on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Tim Henman’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | 4R – 2000, 2001, 2002 | 18-10 | 64% |
| French Open | SF – 2004 | 16-12 | 57% |
| Wimbledon | SF – 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 | 43-14 | 75% |
| US Open | SF – 2004 | 21-13 | 62% |
Henman won 75% of his matches at the All England Club, whereas Zverev has won just 64%.
Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | F – 2025 | 36-11 | 77% |
| French Open | W – 2026 | 45-10 | 82% |
| Wimbledon | 4R – 2017, 2021, 2024 | 16-9 | 64% |
| US Open | F – 2020 | 28-10 | 74% |
Perhaps if he used the serve and volley more often, Zverev would become a Wimbledon contender like Henman was all those years ago.
When has Tim Henman worked with Alexander Zverev?
Henman has never exclusively trained Zverev, but coached him as the vice-captain of Team Europe at last year’s Laver Cup.
Under Henman’s guidance, Zverev lost both matches he played, failing to win a set.
- [LOSS] vs Alex de Minaur, 1-6, 4-6
- [LOSS] vs Taylor Fritz, 3-6, 6-7
Perhaps he will fare better in 2026, when he makes his seventh appearance at the Laver Cup.
This year’s Laver Cup will be held in London from September 25 to 27.
