Tommy Haas explains why Alexander Zverev’s early Wimbledon defeat ‘may do him good’

Tommy Haas believes that Alexander Zverev’s first-round Wimbledon loss may be ‘good for him in the long run’, ahead of the US Open.

The German, most recently, fell to Arthur Rinderknech in a five-set thriller (7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4) which extended over two days.

Zverev began the year in spectacular fashion after reaching the final of the Australian Open, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight-sets, but has found it difficult to string consistent results together.

Haas, a former world No 2 and a close figure to the current world No 3, has given his verdict as to what the future may hold for his fellow countryman heading into the last Grand Slam of the season.

“If we look at his record and statistics, the reality is that Sascha has had an excellent career,” began Haas, in an interview with Punto de Break.

“We can truly say that there is only one thing left for him to achieve, that Grand Slam title he has been pursuing for so long and desires above all else. What happened at Wimbledon was something very specific; I believe it is the first time in many years that he has lost in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament or lost relatively early.

“Nevertheless, we knew that Wimbledon is not the tournament where he excels the most, although perhaps this may change in the future.

“This painful loss to Rinderknech may ultimately do him a lot of good in the long run, starting with the reflection time he has been able to enjoy in recent weeks. That time for reflection is very valuable; he will surely seek a fresh start in the American hard court season, where he usually brings out his best tennis. Perhaps this will make him even hungrier for the upcoming US Open.”

Indeed, Zverev has produced some of his best Grand Slam results at the New York event, reaching the last eight or further at his last four participations.

In 2020, he led Dominic Thiem by two-sets-to-love and a break in the showpiece match, before the Austrian completed the comeback to lift his sole Grand Slam.

At last year’s edition, the world No 3 lost out to the American Taylor Fritz in a tight 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) clash.

“Sascha remains World No. 3, as well as No. 3 in the Race of the season, that is a fact,” Haas added.

“Right now, we know that there are two other players who are the favourites in all the major tournaments almost by default. We’re talking about Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, although I firmly believe that we cannot rule out Novak Djokovic either.

“With everything going on and all the young talent emerging, Alexander remains a tough opponent to beat when he brings his A-game to the court, something he has been doing for years.”

As Haas commented, Zverev is currently third in both the live ATP rankings – by nearly 1000 points – and the race to Turin, by 340 points.

Despite the position, the German is yet to collect a top-10 victory in 2025 in a completed match, having gotten past Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open due to the 24-time Grand Slam champion retiring after losing the first set.

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Many fans and analysts have suggested that Zverev make a drastic shakeup to his team, with this request being further exacerbated after being seen practising at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca alongside Toni Nadal – prior to travelling to Toronto for the Canadian Masters.

“I have a lot of respect for Toni Nadal; I think any coach who had a player like Rafa Nadal under their wings would have celebrated his success greatly,” Haas stated.

“However, he always showed a very particular attitude both on and off the court, an ideal attitude that ended up leading to Rafa having a prodigious career. I have had the opportunity to speak with him; he knows very well how to seek that harmony with the player in all aspects, so Sascha will be the one to decide.

“It seems that he is now willing to consider other ways and seek alternative paths to achieve that coveted Grand Slam title.”