Why Alexander Zverev's best shot at breaking his Grand Slam duck will be at the French Open 2025

Alexander Zverev has never won a Grand Slam in his career. He might do that in 2025, and the upcoming French Open is where it will most likely happen if he were to win one in 2025.

Zverev has been a fine player for most of his career, which is not a surprise as he comes from a tennis family that also prominently features his brother Mischa, who was a decent player in his day. The younger Zverev essentially grew up on the Tour, so many earmarked him as a sure Grand Slam winner in the future.

Almost a decade into his professional career, it hasn’t happened yet, though he had chances. The best one came five years ago at the US Open, where he threw away a 2-0 lead in sets against Dominic Thiem.

Another one came earlier this year at the Australian Open; however, Jannik Sinner proved too tough. Since then, Zverev has largely struggled to play at a good level, which was a bit surprising. Many expected the opposite to happen; however, his play wasn’t good. He was aware of it, saying a couple of times that he knows he has to improve.

It’s not just about improving his level; it’s about giving himself a chance to win. The French Open has been a really good event for Zverev. While he did suffer that gruesome injury that looked almost career-busting at that point, Zverev also made the semifinals a couple of years in a row before finally making the final last year.

He had a 2-1 lead in sets against Carlos Alcaraz but failed to see it through because, once again, Alcaraz proved just a bit too strong. It does, however, signal that he will have further chances in the future, but his level this year, including on clay, was less than desirable, raising serious doubts about his ability to score strong results.

Well, that changed this week in Munich, where Zverev played some really decent tennis. Munich hasn’t been an event where he’s done well in the past, but this year things finally clicked for him, and he won the event despite not playing his best. The performance in the final was a really strong one, and it meant a lot to Zverev.

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Alexander Zverev in Paris

French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland-Garros 2024. - Source: Getty

Winning in Munich isn’t just significant because he won the trophy. That’s the less important bit of it, while the bigger picture is the confidence boost that he’s going to get from this. He’s had a rough time lately, and that impacts you mentally—tennis is very mental.

Some would say that he lost the Grand Slam finals mostly in his head rather than on the court, and that’s something that is very important not only for him but also for any other player.

The confidence boost will also matter in Madrid, where he has traditionally played some really nice tennis. If he goes out there and has a good showing, then that will further boost his confidence as he gets to Paris.

In Paris, Zverev benefits from a couple of things. The courts are somewhat slow, which allows somebody like Zverev to cover them nicely. He’s rather tall and long and moves well on clay, having grown up on the surface in Hamburg, which hosts a famous clay event.

He’s also got the serve, which is a tremendous weapon that puts a lot of pressure on most players. It can also bail him out quite often, and that combo alone is good enough for the majority of players. Where he tends to lack in comparison to an Alcaraz or Sinner is the mental part and the attacking part.

You have to play attacking on clay. Sitting back and waiting won’t work against these tough players. Zverev has realized that, as he's been playing more attacking lately with a decent amount of success. It takes time for him to truly become an offensive player, but he’s getting there.

Crucial is the confidence behind those shots, which winning Munich will help address. The familiarity with Paris ensures that Zverev will be comfortable there because, in his own words, he feels great there.

That’s why the event will be his best shot at winning a Grand Slam trophy this year because grass is not a good surface for him, and in New York, there are simply other players who dominate better and more.

To win, though, he will need a little bit of luck and things clicking, which is never certain. But it’s more certain to happen in Paris than anywhere else because he has played some of his best tennis there.