There is a high chance that Alexander Zverev will one day go down as the greatest player never to win a Grand Slam.
The German, 28 years of age, is now in the prime years of his career, but it feels as though his chances of clinching his first major crown are slimmer than ever.
Though the ‘big three’ era has vanished, the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has made it incredibly difficult for Zverev to compete on the biggest stages.
The second half of his Grand Slam season last year was certainly one to forget, with the three-time major finalist bowing out in the early stages of both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Zverev will hope for a fresh start in 2026, but with the way his Australian Open draw has panned out, his difficulties may continue this year.
Alexander Zverev’s route to the Australian Open final
His first assignment in Melbourne comes in the form of big server Gabriel Diallo, who is certainly not a name anyone wants to see in the early stages of a Grand Slam.
In round two, Zverev will then be faced with either Alexandre Muller or former Masters champion Alexei Popyrin.
Where will Alexander Zverev finish 2026 ranked?
Zverev’s first seeded opponent is likely to be former Wimbledon semifinalist Cameron Norrie, while his potential fourth-round task is 13th seed Andrey Rublev.
It certainly does not get any easier from there, as Zverev finds himself in the same quarter of the draw as Felix Auger-Aliassime, Learner Tien and Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev has proven to be Zverev’s bogey opponent over the years, with the Russian winning 13 of their last 16 clashes.
Should he reach the final four, Zverev will likely have to go through Alcaraz in the semifinals before taking on Sinner in the championship match.
Alexander Zverev’s results at the Australian Open over the years
Zverev will be making his 11th appearance this year at the Australian Open, a tournament he has enjoyed some great results at over the years.
After failing to come through qualifying in 2015, Zverev made his Australian Open debut in 2016, but was knocked out in the first round.
He won seven matches at Melbourne Park from 2017 to 2019, before recording his best result at the competition in 2020.
Alexander Zverev’s last five year-end rankings
That year, Zverev reached the semifinals but was defeated by Dominic Thiem, who went on to deny him in the US Open final later that season as well.
Zverev returned to the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2024 and was agonisingly close to reaching the final for the first time after going two sets up against Medvedev, but he let the lead slip.
The Olympic gold medalist finally reached the title bout last year where he met defending champion Sinner.
The Italian was simply too good for Zverev, however, overcoming him in straight sets to secure Australian Open title number two.
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