Alexander Zverev hints at why he could soon win his first grand slam title

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Despite previous defeats in the French Open and US Open final, Alexander Zverev is remaining optimistic about his grand slam prospects.

It was heartbreak in Paris for Alexander Zverev as he failed to edge out Carlos Alcaraz in a tantalising French Open final.

Zverev occupies a kind of nether-region in tennis with his generation unable to ever lay their mark on the ‘Big Three’, but similarly not managing to motor ahead once they had nearly all retired.

Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz have firmly taken up the reins this year, together securing the first three majors of the year.

After a knee injury hampered Zverev’s ambitions of a deep Wimbledon run and later saw him fail to defend his Olympic title, the search for a maiden major title goes on.

Alexander Zverev suggests he is ‘doing all the right things’ to win a grand slam

Zverev didn’t have things completely his own way in his opening round match, with German opponent Max Marterer taking a set off the fourth seed.

However, as Zverev looks to build on last year’s run to the quarter-finals, he has remained positive despite his recent French Open final defeat.

“Yeah, actually at Wimbledon this year, I felt like I was playing some of the best tennis of my life until the injury,” Zverev admitted in his press conference. “Definitely some of the best tennis on grass courts that I’ve ever played, but I’ve been close this year.

“I feel like really in Australia and at the French Open I was close to getting one. It didn’t go my way, but still, I feel the same way. I feel like I’m on the right path, I feel like I’m doing all the right things. Hopefully it’s going to come.”

Zverev is preparing to France’s Alexandre Muller for the first time in the second round of the US Open.

Can Alexander Zverev battle past the nerves in the big moments?

With the five-set format having caused several notable stumbles for Zverev at grand slam level, the German will need to break this shaky streak if he wants to go the distance.

Having choked to lose the French Open final in 2024 and the US Open Final in 2020, the German is slightly famed for tightening up on the big points.

This year’s US Open seeding however could work out to his advantage as he will avoid Sinner and Alcaraz until the finals.

The Spaniard was his conqueror in New York 12 months ago, while Sinner recently beat Zverev in the Cincinnati semi-finals, again with Zverev struggling in the tenser moments.

A potential match against the defending champion Novak Djokovic will also only come at the semi-final stage.