With the US Open approaching, listen to Alexander Zverev’s reflections on his journey through Grand Slam tournaments in his career.

On August 23, 2025, German tennis ace and world No. 3 Alexander Zverev expressed at the US Open pre-event press conference that winning the tournament by overcoming the world’s top two players, Sinner and Alcaraz, would represent a “perfect Grand Slam triumph.”

At 28, Zverev turned professional in 2013 and has been competing for 12 years. He holds two ATP Finals titles, seven ATP Masters 1000 championships, and an Olympic gold medal. The only title missing from his résumé is a Grand Slam championship!

In his youth, he faced overwhelming dominance from the Big Three—Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Let’s look at their head-to-head records:

Against Federer: 4 wins to 3 losses, including his 2017 Canadian Masters victory over Federer to claim the title.

Against Nadal: 4 wins to 7 losses, including a win on Madrid’s clay courts in 2021.

Against Djokovic: 4 wins to 8 losses, featuring his 2017 Rome Masters and 2018 ATP Finals wins over Djokovic.

Zverev has also competed fiercely against other top contemporaries:

Against former world No. 1 Medvedev: 7 wins to 12 losses.

Against former world No. 3 Tsitsipas: 7 wins to 10 losses.

Against former world No. 3 Thiem: 4 wins to 8 losses.

Against former world No. 3 Dimitrov: 7 wins to 2 losses.

However, at 28 years old, Zverev still holds the world No. 3 ranking while several others have fallen out of the top 10.

Currently, Zverev’s biggest rivals come from the new generation born after 2000:

Against world No. 1 Sinner: 4 wins to 3 losses.

Against former world No. 1 Alcaraz: 6 wins to 6 losses.

As Sinner and Alcaraz mature, Zverev’s winning record against them is declining. Notably, they have claimed the last seven Grand Slam titles consecutively!

The 2025 US Open is about to begin.

At the 2020 US Open, Zverev had two match points in the final but narrowly lost the deciding set 6-7(6) to Thiem. This year, he faces Tabillo in the first round, starting his quest for a first Grand Slam title.

As a three-time Grand Slam finalist, Zverev understands the current men’s tennis landscape—world No. 1 Sinner and No. 2 Alcaraz have won the past seven Grand Slams, so beating these two top players is almost a prerequisite for his Grand Slam dream. Zverev stated:

“If I face Sinner in the semifinals and Alcaraz in the final, I’d be very happy. Winning under those circumstances would make me feel truly deserving because that’s the toughest path to a title right now.”

“I want to win a Grand Slam and hope to claim the world’s top tournament by defeating the best players. Of course, don’t get me wrong—if they get upset early in the first or second rounds and I end up playing someone ranked 50th in the final, I’d accept that outcome now. [laughs] But ultimately, winning a Grand Slam by beating the very best makes the achievement more meaningful. That’s my mindset and how I view this.”

It really depends on which of the top three exits first.

This season, Zverev’s record stands at 43 wins and 16 losses. Although slightly less consistent than before, his July training in Mallorca with Toni Nadal gave him a crucial boost—tennis legend Rafael Nadal also visited to offer advice to his former rival. Zverev admits he knows certain aspects of his game are weaker than Sinner and Alcaraz’s, and he must find tactics and training methods to overcome top players.

“I feel some parts of my game are still not as strong as others,” Zverev reflected. “I won’t specify exactly which areas, but Carlos and Yannick do some things better than me. Of course, I also have technical advantages over them in some respects.”

“The key is finding ways to beat the world’s best—discovering the right tactical approach and training focus to achieve that. That’s why I visited Uncle Toni (Toni Nadal) and Rafa (Rafael Nadal)—to learn and hear their unique tennis insights and how they view my playing style.”

Despite holding 24 ATP Tour titles and two ATP Finals championships, the 28-year-old Zverev believes he can still improve. He especially values Nadal’s advice:

“Rafa and I have played for 10 years. He’s been my opponent and now a spectator, so he understands how it feels to face me and can offer advice no one else can.”

Looking ahead to the US Open, Zverev’s goal is clear: “Over the next two weeks, I don’t have to beat everyone—just the seven opponents in front of me. That’s the beauty of tennis: anyone can keep improving.”

Here is Zverev’s draw from the top three quarters. Let’s see which players stand between him and the semifinals.

[Look at me][Handshake][Bow][Give myself a flower][Laugh]

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