Alexander Zverev may be closer than ever to his first Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open. For tennis legend John McEnroe it is clear: the pressure on the German is enormous – even if Zverev himself sees it differently.
After Carlos Alcaraz’s injury-related retirement and the early defeats of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the world number three is the big favorite for the title at Roland Garros.
However, Zverev had stated that he did not attach too much importance to the expectations surrounding his title chance. For McEnroe, however, this attitude is incomprehensible.
“Absolute nonsense! The pressure is incredibly high,” said the seven-time Grand Slam winner on “TNT Sports”. “It’s probably the most pressured tournament of his entire career.”
Zverev with top performances
McEnroe pointed out that Zverev has not yet been able to win a major title despite his consistent world-class performances. The Hamburg native has already appeared in three Grand Slam finals, but had to admit defeat in each case – at the US Open 2020 against Dominic Thiem, at the French Open 2024 against Alcaraz and at the Australian Open 2025 against Sinner.
“He is the best player in tennis history who has not yet won a Grand Slam title,” said McEnroe. “This time he doesn’t have to beat Alcaraz, Sinner or Djokovic. The chance is there.”
The former world number one also made it clear how important this opportunity could be for Zverev: “If he doesn’t make it this time, I don’t know if he will ever win a Grand Slam.”
Zverev has been in strong form so far in Paris and only lost one set on the way to the semi-finals. In the quarterfinals he won confidently against Rafael Jodar 7:6 (7:3), 6:1, 6:3. The German will now face Jakub Mensik in the semi-finals.