Alexander Zverev has become a Grand Slam champion at the fourth time of asking, having previously lost three finals.
The German has now ended that disappointing run by beating Flavio Cobolli in the final of this year’s French Open.
Zverev is enjoying a few days off after his lengthy stay in Paris, but the 29-year-old will soon return to action at the ATP 500 Halle later this month.
His focus will then turn to Wimbledon at the All England Club in London, where he will be eyeing a second successive Grand Slam title.
It is, however, his French Open success that continues to attract attention, with Patrick Mouratoglou suggesting that two major changes helped Zverev finally get over the line.
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The two major changes that helped Alexander Zverev win the French Open
Mouratoglou, who once coached 23-time major champion Serena Williams, said in a video on his Instagram: “Because the Grand Slam final is something that you need to take, if you wait for the mistake of the opponent, this is not going to happen.
“It’s interesting to understand why Sascha Zverev has become a Grand Slam champion.
“If you look at Sascha’s game four or five years ago, and now, there is a big evolution.
“He was hitting so many double faults.
“He’s solved the problem.
“His game and his position on the court is different.
“Four or five years ago, he was three meters behind the baseline, moving everywhere, not missing, playing deep, and this was enough to beat all the guys, except the very top one.
“Today, generally speaking, he’s way closer to the baseline, which gives him the possibility also to move inside the court when the ball is shorter and take advantage of it, and also behind his serve.
“He has one of the best serves in the world.
“When you’re ready to move forward, it’s completely different.
“That’s the two major differences that have made him a Grand Slam champion.
“And I remember me saying two years ago, he will never win a Grand Slam if he keeps doing what he’s doing.
“You have to play to win, not to play to make the other one miss, and that’s a big change.”
Alexander Zverev among ATP’s serve leaders
It is indeed serving where Zverev has particularly shone in recent times, with the German currently ranked fifth on the ATP Tour for his efforts in that area.
He finds himself in 21st place for his return and 19th for his efforts under pressure, but among the top five players with a ball in hand.
| Rank | Player | Serve rating | % 1st serve | % 1st serve points won | % 2nd serve points won | % service games won |
| 1 | Reilly Opelka | 301.8 | 64.4% | 80.3% | 53.3% | 90.0% |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | 301.0 | 63.5% | 80.3% | 58.6% | 92.7% |
| 3 | Taylor Fritz | 299.4 | 65.0% | 79.5% | 54.0% | 89.2% |
| 4 | Ben Shelton | 298.3 | 66.0% | 77.3% | 56.5% | 90.5% |
| 5 | Alexander Zverev | 297.1 | 72.9% | 74.7% | 55.0% | 88.1% |
Only Reilly Opelka, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton rank higher than the French Open winner in the ATP’s 52-week rating.
And notably, he has risen all the way to the top of the % 1st serve standings thanks to his impressive figure of 72.9%.
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