“Criminally underrated”: Andy Roddick & Chris Eubanks redefines Zverev’s place in modern tennis hierarchy

Alexander Zverev’s place in modern tennis again came under scrutiny after his latest deep run at Roland Garros, where he reached his fourth Grand Slam final and went on to secure his first major title, defeating Flavio Cobolli in the championship match.

On Andy Roddick’s Served podcast, Andy Roddick and Christopher Eubanks addressed the broader debate around Zverev’s career and the way it is assessed in light of both his breakthrough Grand Slam victory and his long-standing consistency at the top level.

On Andy Roddick’s Served podcast, Roddick and Eubanks discussed what they described as a growing tendency to diminish Zverev’s career based primarily on narratives built before his Grand Slam breakthrough. Both argued that the debate has drifted away from performance analysis and toward perception shaped by results in the biggest moments over time.

Roddick pointed to Zverev’s sustained presence at the elite level, noting that the German has remained a fixture in the latter stages of majors for nearly a decade. Eubanks, meanwhile, focused on what he sees as a disconnect between statistical output and public evaluation of the player’s overall quality.

The discussion centred on a recurring claim in tennis discourse that Zverev is “not that good”, a framing both former players strongly rejected. For them, the German’s résumé places him among the most accomplished players of his generation outside the dominant duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Roddick directly challenged the tone of recent criticism directed at Zverev, particularly assessments that reduce his career to the absence of a Grand Slam title. He argued that such narratives ignore both consistency and achievement across multiple seasons at the highest level.

“Because Carlos and Yannick are so good, I don’t ever want to get to the place where anyone who’s not them is treated like a piece of shit. That’s ridiculous,” Roddick said, pushing back against what he sees as disproportionate dismissal of established top players.

Zverev’s career includes 25 ATP titles, six Masters 1000 trophies, two ATP Finals victories and Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020. He has also reached three Grand Slam finals and multiple additional semi-finals, including eight appearances at Roland Garros reaching at least the quarter-final stage.

"To denigrate the guy’s entire career because he hasn’t won a major is absurd,” he said, adding that Zverev himself has been “really realistic” about his own expectations."

Eubanks focused on what he described as flawed technical analysis used to justify sweeping conclusions about Zverev’s ability. He questioned commentary that dismisses the German’s game entirely, arguing that it ignores both measurable performance and physical profile.

“The guy is 6-foot-7, usually serves around 75 to 80 percent first serves averaging 135 miles an hour, has one of the best backhands we’ve ever seen. His movement is incredible,” Eubanks said.

He added that while tactical criticism is legitimate, broader claims about Zverev’s level often lose analytical grounding. “Sure, you can critique his tendencies to play a bit more passive. Now we’re talking tennis,” he said, distinguishing between stylistic critique and absolute judgments.

The American said it becomes problematic when opinions appear influenced by perceptions beyond the court. “To sit up here and just unequivocally say he’s just not that good, to me, just doesn’t make logical tennis sense,” Eubanks added.

Roddick echoed that view, arguing that Zverev’s presence across multiple Grand Slam finals and sustained ATP Finals qualification over several years reflects a level of consistency rarely achieved in the modern game.

Despite the lack of a Grand Slam title, Roddick framed Zverev’s career as one that sits in an unusual analytical space: simultaneously underachieving in the biggest moments, yet statistically stronger than most peers outside the current elite.

“He’s both the best player not to have won a major and also almost criminally underrated,” Roddick added. “If you sit there and say Zverev is not that good, I kind of dismiss anything you say afterwards. Tennis is really hard, and I think we disrespect all of tennis when we pretend like it’s easy.”