Alexander Zverev having 'diabetes' challenge and not overcoming 'mental obstacle' behind lack of Grand Slams says Andrea Petkovic

Former world number nine Andrea Petkovic believes that Alexander Zverev needs to overcome a ‘mental obstacle’ to win a Grand Slam.

The 26-year-old was one of the star performers in the first Grand Slam of the year — the Australian Open. However, his journey came to an end as he lost in the semifinal to the current world number three Russia’s Daniil Medvedev with a score of 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.

That result would’ve hurt Zverev, especially because at one stage he was leading two sets to love and was just a couple of points away from securing a place in the final.

Petkovic was recently quoted in a report where she stated that the current world number six has to overcome the mental ‘obstacle’ to lift the title.

"First of all, he has the diabetes, that's a challenge," she. "That's a physical challenge for a man that has to play a best of five match. That's definitely there. But, it's interesting cause I feel like to win a Grand Slam, there is a little mental obstacle that you have to overcome. It feels once you overcome that, you can win any Slam.

"After that, you go to a Slam and you are like 'I can win this'. He hasn't overcome that yet, and we saw that the two best matches where he was up 2-0, in the US Open final and the semifinals at the Australian Open against Daniil Medvedev. So, clearly, he hasn't quite overcome that mental obstacle yet.

"Until he doesn't [overcome the little mental obstacle], he won't because the hardest thing is to do something you have never done before. So, that will be an issue for him going forward forever."

Zverev is now set to take part in the upcoming Mexican Open where he will begin his journey with the match against fellow German Daniel Altmaier on Tuesday.