Former world No 1 details Alexander Zverev’s ‘weird place’ after latest Grand Slam final loss

Pictured: Alexander Zverev and Andy Roddick.
Alexander Zverev and Andy Roddick.

Andy Roddick believes that Alexander Zverev finds himself in a “weird place” after losing his third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open.

World No 2 Zverev was beaten 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 by Jannik Sinner in last Sunday’s men’s singles final in Melbourne, failing to create a break point chance as his Italian rival dominated throughout.

It was the third defeat in as many major finals for the German, who previously lost the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem, and the 2024 French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.

Zverev’s struggle to win a first Grand Slam title contrasts the fortunes of Alcaraz and Sinner, who are currently a combined 7-0 in major finals.

The Spaniard and Italian, aged 21 and 23 respectively, have now won six of the last seven Grand Slam titles.

Zverev is currently ranked second in the world – ahead of Alcaraz – and has won seven Masters 1000 titles, alongside an Olympic gold medal and two ATP Finals titles.

However, speaking on his podcast Served, former world No 1 Roddick believes that the 27-year-old’s success is being undervalued because of his lack of a Grand Slam title.

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“Imagine that you have a global conference in whatever you do, you are anywhere around the world and the best of the best of the best at what you do are in one place,” he said.

“You know you are good at something but all of a sudden you see people come and you think: ‘I have never seen this person do this thing that well.’

“Imagine you then winning that competition for two weeks and then losing to one person and people going that’s a failure.

“That’s a weird place to be and that is kind of where Zverev is right now.”

Since Zverev’s defeat, debate has raged as to whether the German’s struggles to win a major are down to his style of play, a lack of self-belief – or both.

However, Roddick – the 2003 US Open champion – believes that it would be difficult for Zverev to change too much in terms of how he plays during a match.

Roddick added: “He is professional, he is always fit, he does all the things that you would want a top player to do.

“I think swing production is a bit more difficult for him than other people and people don’t understand that dictates the style of play.

“I wanted him to just go for it but he is hitting first serves big, he is hitting second serves big. How else can he just go for it without compromising the meat and potatoes of what makes him effective?”

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