Just a month after finally capturing his first Grand Slam title, Alexander Zverev is now one win away from securing his second.
Zverev will face Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final on Sunday, after recording by far his best-ever campaign at the grass-court major.
Having never made it past the fourth round in SW19 at previous editions, the German has dropped just two sets en route to the 2026 championship match, beating the likes of Jiri Lehecka, Taylor Fritz and Arthur Fery.
How high can Arthur Fery go in the world rankings?
Should he beat Sinner in the final, Zverev will become the first man in the Open Era to win his second Grand Slam title immediately after clinching his first.
Ahead of his clash with the Italian, Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, suggested Zverev has silenced his critics as of late.
Patrick Mouratoglou discusses the ‘lost generation’ in tennis
In a post on Instagram, Mouratoglou said: “For those who buried Tsitsipas, Zverev, Medvedev, this generation, Zverev has sent a great message to them.
“After Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, we thought, okay, they’re gonna start to win Grand Slams. And it didn’t happen.
“And then a new generation came, but very early; Sinner, Alcaraz, they started to win everything. And a lot of people thought this generation is dead.
Prove me wrong – Alexander Zverev will win multiple Grand Slam titles now
He's finally got his first!
“But here’s something important, those guys, they don’t give up. They stay and they keep trying. They keep working really hard.
“They keep believing that their day will come. One of the two is out, Carlos, and it opens possibilities, and then Zverev wins one [a major]. They’re just showing that they’re still alive.”
The Grand Slam tally of the ‘lost generation’ in men’s tennis
The ‘lost generation’ in men’s tennis refers to players born between 1990 and 2000.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic headlined the 80s-born era, while Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have dominated among players born in the 2000s.
But players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev and Zverev, all born in the 90s, have not quite reached the heights of the eras that have come before and after them.
Just three players from the ‘lost generation’ have managed to win a Grand Slam.
Dominic Thiem was the first to do so, having won the 2020 edition of the US Open after coming back from two sets down against Zverev in the final.
The next was Medvedev, who captured his sole Grand Slam title by beating Djokovic in the 2021 US Open final.
Medvedev is also the only player born in the 90s to become the world number one.
Zverev became the third star from the ‘lost generation’ to hoist a major trophy at Roland Garros 2026, beating Flavio Cobolli in the final.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
