‘Everyone loves to hate him’ – Former British No 1 suggests French Open contender is unpopular

Kevin Palmer 24 May 2026 1:15 PM

Alexander Zverev in a press conference

Jannik Sinner has claimed he is one of the only players who can stop Jannik Sinner at this year’s French Open, but former British No 1 Johanna Konta has suggested a victory for the German at Roland Garros may not be popular.

With Carlos Alcaraz out due to injury, Zverev is the No 2 seed and appears to be the leading contender to challenge Sinner for the title in Paris.

The German’s recent record against Sinner suggests he is several steps behind the Italian, with the comprehensive nature of his recent defeats against the world No 1 doing little to fuel belief that he can challenge the favourite to win the men’s title.

“Well, I think there’s a big gap between [Jannik] Sinner and everybody else right now,” said the German.

“It’s quite simple. I think there’s a big gap between Sinner and everybody else.

“And I think there’s a big gap between [Carlos] Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak [Djokovic], and everybody else. I think there are two gaps right now.”

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Now Konta has told TNT Sports that his comments have caused a stir because she believes Zverev is unpopular with tennis fans.

“I think he’s the player right now that everyone loves to hate,” declared Konta on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Former world No 2 Alex Corretja then offered his verdict, as he suggested Zverev was right to claim he was the second favourite to win the title alongside Djokovic.

“There’s a gap between him and everyone else,” said Corretja.

“I think the gap between Jannik and when Carlos was there, of course, and then it’s Novak and Sascha. They’ve been showing that they were ready to do well in the Slams.

“Sascha needs to believe he can do well in the tournament. He can’t be passive because then he can be tired when he gets into the second week.”

Even though Alcaraz’s absence is a boost for Zverev’s hopes, he has insisted he insisted he is not happy to see the Spaniard on the sidelines.

“It’s sad. Sad for tennis. But as he said himself, he’s very young and his career will be very long, and I think that’s what he’s prioritising. It’s never good for him to miss the big tournaments; we need him and tennis is more exciting with him.

“Sometimes people say the best players are happy while others aren’t, but that’s not the case. I’ve been in that situation, injured, unable to compete in the big tournaments, and it’s not a pleasant feeling.

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“I wish him a very speedy recovery. I hope he returns sooner than expected, I hope to see him at 100% on the grass circuit.

“For me, to win a Major, you have to beat the best players in the world. In recent months, Sinner has been the best player in the world and he’s still here, he’s the big favorite.

“But I don’t want the others not to be there. I’ll compete the same way, I’ll try to win, but it’s better when everyone’s present.”