Alexander Zverev spent years as the best player never to win a major. In 2026 he won two. The German broke through at Roland Garros in June, beating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final, reached his first Wimbledon final five weeks later, and on September 13 won the US Open, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the final. He is the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season, and he joined Boris Becker as the only German men to win more than one major.
The turnaround is stark. Early in 2025 he lost his third major final, to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne, after surrendering a two-set lead in the 2020 US Open final and another lead to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open final. In 2026 he was the only man to reach the quarterfinals at all four majors. The profile is a long-established elite who has turned into the most successful major player of the season.
Quick facts
- Full name: Alexander Zverev
- Nationality: Germany (born Hamburg)
- Born: April 20, 1997
- Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
- Turned pro: 2013
- Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand
- Coach: Alexander Zverev Sr. (his father)
- Career majors: 2 — Roland Garros (2026), US Open (2026)
- Career titles: 26, including two ATP Finals (2018, 2021) and Olympic singles gold (Tokyo 2020)
- Identity: Towering power baseliner with a major serve and heavy groundstrokes
Season snapshot — September 25, 2026
- Ranking: World No. 2, behind Sinner, and first in the Race to Turin after the US Open; already qualified for the ATP Finals (November 15 to 22)
- US Open: Champion as the top seed, after needing five sets in each of his first two matches; beat Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the final
- Laver Cup: Clinched Team Europe’s 13-5 win in London by beating Learner Tien 7-6(3), 6-3 on the final day, after losing to Alex de Minaur 2-6, 7-6(5), 11-9 and winning in doubles with Casper Ruud on Saturday. It was the fourth time he has clinched the event, and he is its all-time leading scorer with 26 points, according to the Laver Cup
- Wimbledon: Runner-up to Sinner, his first final at the All England Club; beat Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals, ending a seven-match losing streak against him, and Arthur Fery 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals
- Roland Garros: Champion, beating Flavio Cobolli 6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–1 in the final
- Australian Open: Semifinal, lost to Alcaraz
- Between the majors: A first-round loss in Montreal to Tallon Griekspoor and a fourth-round loss in Cincinnati to Tommy Paul, after holding a match point
This snapshot is dated and will change. The career record elsewhere on this page does not.
Game overview
Zverev plays a power game anchored by one of the biggest serves in tennis and flat, heavy hitting from the baseline. At 6 ft 6 in he generates huge pace and free points, and his movement for a player of his height is exceptional. The long wait for a major was less about the tools than about closing the biggest matches. In 2026 he closed two of them, and in the US Open final he answered Shelton’s third-set comeback by losing only two games in the fourth.
Playing style and strengths
Serve. A genuine weapon that produces aces and short replies, the foundation of his game.
Baseline power. Flat, deep hitting off both wings, with a backhand that can end long rallies from defensive positions.
Movement and durability. Rare court coverage for his size, and the stamina to win five-set battles; he opened his US Open title run with two of them.
Pressure points and vulnerabilities
- Sinner: the Italian beat him in the 2025 Australian Open final and the 2026 Wimbledon final
- Form outside the majors: he failed to reach a quarterfinal in Montreal or Cincinnati this summer
- Second-serve reliability under pressure
- A baseline pattern that can turn passive against aggressive opponents
Career milestones
- 2018, 2021: ATP Finals champion
- 2020: First major final at the US Open
- 2021: Olympic singles gold at the Tokyo Games
- 2024–2025: Further major finals at Roland Garros and the Australian Open
- 2026: Roland Garros and US Open titles, a first Wimbledon final, and the quarterfinals or better at all four majors
Grand Slam record in context
Zverev’s major record was long defined by what he hadn’t won — three finals lost, two from winning positions — alongside consistent deep runs. 2026 rewrote it: a semifinal, two titles and a final, from a player who had never gone past the fourth round at Wimbledon before this year. The context matters too — Alcaraz missed two majors through injury and Sinner withdrew from the US Open — but Zverev beat the players in front of him, and both of his second-week losses at the majors came against the eventual champions: Alcaraz in Melbourne and Sinner at Wimbledon.
Grand Slam best results
- Australian Open: Runner-up (2025)
- Roland Garros: Champion (2026)
- Wimbledon: Runner-up (2026)
- US Open: Champion (2026)
What to watch next
- Year-end No. 1 — he trails Sinner in the rankings but has far fewer points to defend over the rest of the season
- The ATP Finals — a chance at a third year-end title, November 15 to 22
- Melbourne — a major where he has reached the final but not won, with Alcaraz defending the title
