Angelique Kerber has given her verdict on Alexander Zverev’s chances of winning a Grand Slam title.
Zverev reached the Australian Open final earlier this year, which was the third time he had finished as runner-up at a major tournament.
However, the German has struggled at the Grand Slams more recently, including Zverev losing in the first round of Wimbledon.
Now, his compatriot and former world number one Kerber has revealed what she thinks is preventing Zverev from becoming a Grand Slam champion.
Angelique Kerber believes something is stopping Alexander Zverev becoming a major champion
Kerber knows what it takes to be a major champion, having won three Grand Slam titles before she retired at the Paris Olympics last year.
Having played mixed doubles with him before, Kerber is familiar with Zverev and has more of an insight on him than most people.
When discussing Zverev, who beat Ben Shelton in his first match at the ATP Finals, on Sky Sports Germany, Kerber was asked how close she thinks he is to winning a Grand Slam.
While Kerber backed Zverev to win a maiden major title, she claimed that he puts too much pressure on himself at Grand Slam tournaments.
“Alex, or Sascha, is for me definitely very close to winning a Grand Slam. Definitely,” said Kerber. “We all know he can do it, he has what it takes. He has proven it more than once, he has won Masters, he has already won the ATP Finals, he has brought home gold.
“So we all know he can play and that he can also be mentally strong. I personally believe that he puts too much pressure on himself during these Grand Slam weeks or at the Grand Slam tournaments.
“Nevertheless, he is still relatively young. Of course, he is no longer the youngest on the tour, but he is naturally gaining new experience every year. And that will help him win it at some point. I’m sure of that. I also think that from the outside, we all want Sascha to have a few Grand Slams under his belt already.
“We just need to be patient again. We just have to give him time. Everyone has their own path to follow. I won my Grand Slam at 28. I wasn’t the youngest player on the tour either. That’s why I’m actually relatively relaxed and relatively confident that he’ll hold up the trophy one day.”
Zverev recently made unwanted history related to Grand Slams, and Kerber was asked if she thinks the pressure he puts on himself comes as a result of the media expectation.
“It’s both. And I can speak openly now,” said Kerber. “Of course, you feel the pressure from the media. It’s a lie to say that you turn a deaf ear and don’t hear or read what’s being written. Of course you notice it.
“And that puts even more pressure on you, especially at these tournaments that you want to win. And I think he does that on the one hand. On the other hand, I also know how ambitious Sascha is. He does everything he can to be fit every year. He plays such an incredible season every year.
“Of course, he hasn’t won the Grand Slam yet, but he’s still in the top 10, top five, and was close to becoming number one. I think he’ll get there eventually. That means we’re actually talking about such a high level here, and that’s complaining at a high level. So all I can really say is, let’s be happy with what we have with Sascha and watch him, and keep our fingers crossed that one day it will work out.”
Can Alexander Zverev still win a major with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the draw?
While Kerber believes that Zverev has what it takes to win a major title, there are two big obstacles stopping him from doing that at the moment.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have won the last eight major titles and have played each other in three of the four Grand Slam finals this year.
However, Kerber still believes that Zverev has what it takes to beat Alcaraz and Sinner, suggesting he may have to ride his luck as well.
“First of all, I believe, or rather I know, he has already proven that, that he can beat Alcaraz and Sinner,” said Kerber. “So it’s not that he can’t do it.
“But of course, the two of them feel unbeatable at the moment. They play each other in the final of every tournament when they both play. And it’s always nice to see that something like the old generation is back in men’s tennis, with players like Roger [Federer], Rafa [Nadal], Nole [Djokovic], who is still playing, and [Andy] Murray, the top three, top four.
“And Sascha too. I mean, Sascha can beat them. But you also need luck at a Grand Slam. Playing at the top level for two weeks is actually impossible.
“You need a bit of luck with the draw, you need to be in good form on the day. So many things have to come together, so many pieces of the puzzle have to fit. The older you get, the more experience you have, and Sascha is also gaining this experience year after year. But not in a negative sense, rather in a positive one.”
Although he has lost his most recent match against Alcaraz, Zverev actually has a winning head-to-head against the Spaniard.
Zverev may also have to play against Sinner in his next match at the ATP Finals, which will be confirmed if the Italian beats Felix Auger-Aliassime.
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