Tim Henman’s Brutal Verdict on Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam Hopes
Alexander Zverev has received a harsh reality check from former British tennis star Tim Henman, who believes the world No. 2 may never win a Grand Slam title.
Despite reaching three Major finals, Zverev remains winless on the biggest stage, suffering a straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in this year’s Australian Open final. Henman has now gone a step further, suggesting that Emma Raducanu—who has just one Grand Slam title to her name—will retire with more Majors than the German.
Zverev’s Missing Grand Slam Puzzle
At 27 years old, Zverev has already won an Olympic gold medal, two ATP Finals titles, and seven Masters 1000 trophies. Yet, the elusive Grand Slam remains out of reach. His first Major final at the 2020 US Open saw him blow a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem. Last year, he lost another five-set battle to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros. Then, in January, he suffered a one-sided loss to Sinner in Melbourne.
With each near-miss, Zverev’s chances appear to be fading rather than improving.
Henman’s Bold Prediction: Raducanu > Zverev?
During a “this-or-that” quiz, Henman was asked to predict which player would end their career with more Grand Slam titles—Zverev or Raducanu. His answer?
“Emma Raducanu.”
It’s a bold call, considering Raducanu’s only Slam success came at the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier. If Henman’s prediction holds, it means Zverev could retire without ever winning a Major—a staggering thought for someone ranked No. 2 in the world.
A Struggle for Form
Since his Australian Open final loss, Zverev has been out of sorts, admitting that his confidence has taken a hit. He reached the quarter-finals in Argentina and Rio before an early exit in Mexico. His Indian Wells campaign ended abruptly in the first round against Tallon Griekspoor—a huge upset for a player of his stature.
When asked whether his Major final heartbreak was still affecting his game, Zverev didn’t deny it:
“Maybe a little bit, but I can sit here and have excuses, but at the end of the day I’m just not playing good tennis at the moment. It’s as simple as that.”
“I’m not playing at the level I want to play, definitely not playing anywhere near what I played in Australia.”
“This is the end result of, I don’t know, yeah, maybe Australian Open. But I’m just, yeah, I’m just disappointed with my game. That’s the number one thing for me.”
With more questions than answers, Zverev’s quest for Grand Slam glory remains one of tennis’ biggest unfinished stories. Will he break the curse, or will Henman’s ruthless prediction come true?
