"He has gotten there a couple of times": Tracy Austin shares reason behind picking Alexander Zverev to win Grand Slam over Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik

Former world number one Tracy Austin believes that Germany’s Alexander Zverev has a much better chance of winning a Grand Slam than youngsters like Brazil’s Joao Fonseca and the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik. The 27-year-old is often regarded as one of the best players currently playing men’s tennis, but he has not been able to replicate his on-court performances into major titles.

Earlier this year, Zverev suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the final of the Australian Open 2025 to reigning world number one Italy’s Jannik Sinner in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. It was the third consecutive occasion where Zverev faltered at the last hurdle in a Grand Slam. In 2020, he lost to Dominic Thiem in a five-set thriller in the final of the US Open with a score of 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6. Just last year, the German tennis star suffered a defeat to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the French Open in another five-setter with a score of 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2.

Former world number one Austin has recently spoken in the Tennis Channel podcast where she was asked about which of the three players she would back to win a Grand Slam out of Zverev, Fonseca and Mensik. In response to that, the 61-year-old, who won two US Open titles in her career, backed the German tennis star ahead of the two youngsters. Austin was of the opinion that while Fonseca has the talent to win multiple major titles in his career, he is very far away from reaching that point. Therefore, she would rather pick someone like Zverev, who has come within touching distance of winning Grand Slams.

“I am going to go with Zverev because he has gotten there a couple of times,” she said. “He is closer to coming across those seven matches and winning. Fonseca could win five or six, but he is so far away from it right now if I had to bet my life on it, I would go with Zverev. And Mensik.”