Alexander Zverev will be hoping to claim a maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, having lost in the final 12 months ago.
Zverev came up against an immovable object in Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final and succumbed to defeat in five sets, despite leading two sets to one.
The world number three has slipped down the world rankings this year amid an inconsistent start to 2025, and he will be hoping to reset and go again at Roland Garros.
Zverev was hammered by Rennae Stubbs going into the French Open after complaining about the quality of the balls at the recent Italian Open.
He will be hoping to avoid any excuses this time around and come through the draw to become a Grand Slam champion for the very first time in just under two weeks.
Andre Agassi makes claim about one shot that Alexander Zverev has
Agassi knows a thing or two about tennis, having won eight major titles during his career, and he’s been discussing some of the game’s top players as the French Open gets underway.
When quizzed on Zverev, Agassi has suggested he’s a huge fan of the German and highlighted one shot that he has that he’s been really impressed with.
He told TNT Sports: “Zverev is a heck of a talent. Anybody who is 6ft 6in and can move the way he moves is a real threat on any surface.
“I think his backhand is arguably the best backhand we will ever see in the game, but he is a little too passive for me in the sense that he is willing to give ground on his forehand side way too often.
“I personally think if he could figure out how to shut down the forehand moving forward more than backwards, he would take his game to a whole new level.”
Zverev needs luck to claim Grand Slam title for the first time
The 28-year-old has the game to go all the way and win a title but with three final defeats to his name, there will naturally be doubters who believe he’s missed his chance.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the top players in the current era, but neither has the air of invincibility that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have possessed in the past, and perhaps now is his time to get over the line.
Zverev could do with a bit of luck. Whenever he’s reached a final in the past, he’s always come up against a top player, and as a result, he’d welcome the chance to play in a final and be the favourite to claim success.
Having reached the final last year, Zverev will have confidence that he can go far again this time around and with Agassi’s words ringing in his ears, this might be his moment to go all the way.
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