Alexander Zverev ‘has a good chance of challenging for the No 1 spot’
Alexander Zverev’s recent Grand Slam performances have given him “an extra boost” with Germany’s Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann believing he has caught up with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Having finished runner-up in his first three major finals, Zverev finally got the monkey off his back at the fourth time of asking as he won his maiden Grand Slam at this year’s French Open.
High on confidence from his Roland Garros title, the German made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time in his career as he reached the final before finishing runner-up to Sinner.
In an interview with Germany’s Ran.joyn.de, Kohlmann explained: “When you achieve your big goals, it can give you an extra boost. Of course, pressure could have built up. But I had the impression that an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“You could already see that in the French Open final, where he had to overcome some difficult phases. When that burden was finally gone, I expected it to have a positive effect.
“That’s why I found his statement after the Wimbledon final so remarkable: He said that at 29, for the first time, he believed he could win this tournament. I think that really came from the heart. He realised that grass could work for him, that he had found ways to adapt his game to the surface.”
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Zverev’s run at the All England Club helped him to return to No 2 in the ATP Rankings with Alcaraz, who missed the tournament due to injury, slipping down one place, while Sinner remains well clear at the top.
Kohlmann believes Zverev are now not only matching Sinner and Alcaraz, but he’s been better at times.
“This kind of assessment is always a bit tricky. Personally, I never thought he was far behind them,” he said. “But I do believe that Sinner and Alcaraz had a slight advantage in recent years – mainly because they won the really big matches and often the head-to-head encounters as well.
“My impression is that he’s now caught up. I even think that he was slightly ahead at times during the last two months.”
Zverev, though, has a 4-11 record against Sinner and he has now lost nine matches in a row against the Italian with his last win coming at the 2023 US Open. He is much closer to Alcaraz in the head-to-head rivalry with the Spaniard 7-6 up.
“These are nuances. In the final, I found him not only on par with me, but even a touch better, well into the second set,” the German Davis Cup captain said. “A bit of luck is also part of the game at this level.
“Looking at the year as a whole, however, Sinner is still No 1 because he clearly dominated the season, apart from his exit in Paris. Since Paris, though, the balance of power has shifted. Sinner himself pointed this out after the final when he said that the race for No 1 was getting closer.”
So can Zverev challenge for the top spot during the upcoming North American hard-court swing?
“I see him as extremely strong on the slightly faster hard courts. I absolutely believe he can not only keep up there, but also beat Sinner and Alcaraz,” Kohlmann stated confidently.
“Therefore, in my view, Zverev has a good chance of challenging for the No 1 spot – provided he can replicate his form from the past two months on the hard-court tour. I also think the break will do him good. It will allow him to recover and then fully concentrate on the next big events.”
