Henman Calls for bold change in Alexander Zverev’s game to break Grand Slam barrier

Tim Henman commented on the changes Alexander Zverev needs to make in order to win a Grand Slam. The former world No. 4 suggested that the only way the German can surpass Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the fight for major titles is by making a significant change in his approach during critical moments.

‘Sascha’ can already be considered one of the most iconic players without winning a Grand Slam title, having won 7 Masters 1000, two ATP Finals, and the gold medal at Tokyo 2020. After six semifinals and two finals, Zverev has repeatedly fallen short in his pursuit of a major title. In fact, with 101 wins and 35 losses, he holds the best record in Grand Slam tournaments without a title (74.26%).

After the golden era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, the change generation seemed to emerge, with Zverev at the forefront alongside players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev. However, they have failed to surpass the Big-3. The recent rise of Alcaraz and Sinner looks set to lead the sport in the coming years, having each claimed two Grand Slam titles this season.

Zverev, ranked No. 2, had a disappointing performance at the ATP Finals after being eliminated in the semifinals by Taylor Fritz (3-6, 6-3, 6-7). Although he topped his group with three consecutive wins, he couldn’t manage to get past the American, a performance later analyzed by Henman:

“There were a few moments where I don’t think Sasha took that forward step and played on his terms,” Henman told Sky Sports Tennis. “He got a bit passive on the forehand in the tiebreak and I don’t think that’s something that he didn’t know already.”

“I think he can win a Slam but if he plays like that, he won’t. He needs to be prepared to take it on.”

Zverev was very close in the 2020 US Open final but allowed a dramatic comeback by Thiem. The German was two sets up, a break up in the third, and also had a break advantage in the fifth (when he served for the match at 5-3), but he couldn’t close it out. In a match defined by errors and nerves from both players, the Austrian triumphed 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6) after over 4 hours. ‘Sascha’ wasted an incredible opportunity to win the title in his first final.

This year, against Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open, Zverev was up two sets to one, but the Spaniard made a remarkable comeback, dominating in the final stages to win his third major title 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

Henman still believes that Zverev has aspects to adjust, despite being at an impressive level. “He is just playing brilliantly. His serving is incredible – 80 percent first serves,” said Henman. “It used to be that if you got above 60, you’d think you’d had a good serving day. He is also more aggressive from the back of the court.

“Before, you used to say he was a bit one-dimensional – banging down big serves and then just playing from the baseline. But now, when he gets the opportunity to cut off the angle and move forward, he takes it.”

“You would have to say it looks like when and not if he will win a Grand Slam now. He is playing that well and has taken his game to the next level,” Henman added. “He was able to do that in the very key moments in this matchup. He just trusted himself.”