Alexander Zverev is ticking along very nicely at Roland Garros, where he is into the third round without dropping a set.
Zverev is hitting more drop shots as part of his approach to finally get over the line at a Grand Slam, having so often been the nearly man.
The German, who is currently third in the ATP rankings behind Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, has reached three major finals and lost all three.
Zverev will now be desperate to end that trend this year at Roland Garros, where he has just been handed a double boost before his next match.
Who is your dark horse for the Roland Garros title this year?
Alexander Zverev handed double boost at Roland Garros
Also in contention for the title, Novak Djokovic plays Joao Fonseca in the afternoon, where the temperatures are once again set to be very hot.
In contrast, and likely much to his delight, Zverev will take on Frenchman Quentin Halys in the night session, where the temperatures should cool significantly.
But there is an even bigger reason for the German to smile in Paris, with Jannik Sinner out of Roland Garros.
Struggling with fitness and the hot conditions, the top seed suffered a shock exit at the hands of Juan Manuel Cerundolo in round two.
Given his dominance of late and his status as the clear favorite to lift the trophy, it goes without saying just how much his exit favors Zverev.
Alexander Zverev is now the Roland Garros favorite after Jannik Sinner loss
Sinner’s hugely surprising defeat will clearly give the entire field a boost, just as the withdrawal of Carlos Alcaraz did.
It does, however, arguably leave Zverev as the favorite to now go on and claim his maiden Grand Slam title.
He has quite possibly never had a better chance to secure a major title, and would be completely dejected if he does manage to fail in that endeavour from this moment on.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 2020 | US Open | Hard | Dominic Thiem | 6–2, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6, 6–7(6–8) |
| Loss | 2024 | French Open | Clay | Carlos Alcaraz | 3–6, 6–2, 7–5, 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 2025 | Australian Open | Hard | Jannik Sinner | 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 3–6 |
| Win | 2026 | French Open | Clay | Flavio Cobolli | 6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–1 |
Of course, it still won’t be straightforward, with the current situation now placing plenty of pressure on the second seed.
Meanwhile, the likes of Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud remain in contention too, both of whom are possible semifinal opponents for Zverev.
He was projected to meet Sinner in the final, but the top half of the draw in Paris has now been blown wide open, and it remains to be seen who can take advantage.
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