Alexander Zverev has been told that he may need both a suspension and an injury to break his Grand Slam drought, following his loss in the 2025 Australian Open final. The German star reached the final after Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from their semi-final due to injury. After the match, Djokovic expressed his support for Zverev, stating, “I wish Sascha all the best. He deserves his first Slam. I’ll be cheering for him. Hopefully, he can get it here.”
Djokovic, who holds 24 Grand Slam titles, further showed his encouragement on social media, posting: “Congratulations to @AlexZverev for making another GS final. I wish you to win the title because you deserve it, my friend.”
However, Zverev’s quest for his first Grand Slam title was cut short once again, as he was defeated in straight sets by world No.1 Jannik Sinner. Despite Djokovic’s confidence in Zverev, former top-10 player and ex-France Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clement holds a different view. Clement doubts Zverev’s chances of winning a Major anytime soon, especially at the upcoming French Open, unless circumstances dramatically shift in his favor.
“I’m sorry to be strict, but I don’t think he has much chance of winning a major title anytime soon,” Clement remarked. “If there are no further improvements in his game between now and Roland Garros, he will hardly be able to win.”
Clement added that Zverev’s chances could improve only if Jannik Sinner faces a doping suspension and Carlos Alcaraz suffers an injury. “If Sinner is suspended due to the doping case and Carlitos Alcaraz is injured, maybe Sascha will have a chance. However, if these two players are in good shape, the German has no chance of defeating them.”
Sinner, who claimed his third consecutive Grand Slam title by defeating Zverev in Melbourne, has not lost a match in nearly four months and dropped only two sets throughout the tournament. The 23-year-old Italian faces a major test in April with a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing that could lead to a ban following two positive doping tests in March 2024. Although an initial investigation cleared Sinner of blame, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision.
If Sinner is allowed to compete, he will shift his focus to claiming a Grand Slam title on clay or grass, having already excelled on hard courts. Reflecting on his strengths, Sinner said, “Of course, on hard court I feel more comfortable. I think that we can see. But I take it as positive because on the other surfaces, I still have to improve, I have to see how it works.”
With the French Open just around the corner, Zverev faces another opportunity to win his elusive first Grand Slam title, but it remains to be seen whether he can overcome the dominance of players like Sinner and Alcaraz.
