Alexander Zverev is on the cusp of the 2026 Australian Open start, hoping for his first Grand Slam title. After a tough 2025 and past final losses, Boris Becker recalls the pivotal 2020 US Open final. Despite challenges, the German feels fit and ready.
Alexander Zverev has reached three Grand Slam finals, but the title has eluded him. His last was on January 26, 2025, at the Australian Open, where he lost to Italian Jannik Sinner 3:6, 6:7, 3:6. This match was the highlight of a disastrous 2025 for the Hamburg native.
At the French Open, he made the quarterfinals but crashed out in Wimbledon's first round to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. After the loss, Zverev said: "I generally feel quite alone in my life, which is not a nice feeling." He briefly trained with Toni Nadal at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, but no long-term partnership ensued. At the US Open, he exited in the third round.
A feud with Boris Becker added to the year's burdens. Zverev criticized the ex-pro: "I believe he worries relatively little about me, to be honest. I think he's a bit seeking attention, and he gets it through me. That's unfortunate. But it's latte to me now." Becker had previously stated: "World-class looks different. Sascha is chasing his form."
Now Becker strikes a conciliatory note: "Melbourne is actually a good stomping ground for him. But he must find himself in the tournament." Zverev's opener is against Gabriel Diallo (rank 41). The world No. 3 feels fit: "I feel fit and I also have the feeling that I played very, very well in training."
Becker pinpoints the crux in the 2020 US Open loss to Dominic Thiem despite a 2-0 set lead: "Had he won that match, he'd be at three, four, five Grand Slam titles now." Other finals were in 2024 against Carlos Alcaraz in Paris. Mats Wilander is optimistic: "I believe he has the chance to win a Grand Slam, and I'm convinced he'll do it before ending his career." Still, Alcaraz and Sinner are the top favorites.
