Is Alexander Zverev capable of winning a Grand Slam title? Carlos Alcaraz thinks so as Indian Wells Quarter-Final lined-up

Alexander Zverev has never reached the semi-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells. The German number one has a difficult draw ahead of him in 2024.

His first Masters triumph was in Rome 2017, where Zverev - gave Novak Djokovic no chance, after which the German number one has played big at almost all other 1000s with beautiful regularity. He currently has five titles to his name in this category. It is therefore all the more astonishing that Zverev has not even managed to reach the semi-finals in Indian Wells so far. The now 27-year-old has made seven appearances in the main draw at Tennis Paradise, with his best result being the quarter-finals in 2021. Back then, Zverev felt disturbed by a spectator and lost to local hero Taylor Fritz.

Last year, Zverev failed - as so often - in the round of 16 against Daniil Medvedev. In a close match that he could have won. But well: the spring of 2023 was still under the motto "comeback" after the long break due to Zverev's ankle injury.

But that doesn't apply to the current edition. Alexander Zverev got the 2024 season off to a good start by winning the United Cup and reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open. The Mexican tournaments, on the other hand, were disappointing with defeats to Jordan Thompson in the semi-finals of Los Cabos and, above all, the first-round defeat to Daniel Altmaier in Acapulco.

In Indian Wells, Zverev, seeded sixth, will be challenged once. After a walk-through, he will play either the increasingly strong Jack Draper or Christopher O'Connell. Zverev lost to the Australian in Munich last year.

According to the seeding list, Tallon Griekspoor would then follow, which is also no walk in the park for Zverev. The round of 16 against either Alex de Minaur or Alexander Bublik also looks more like hard work, before Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, could be waiting in the quarter-finals. Subject to an improvement from the Spaniard, who was far from his best even before his injury in Rio de Janeiro.

That looks like a busy program in which changes can always be made at short notice. But Zverev shouldn't see himself as the underdog against Alcaraz in particular - after all, he recently defeated him in the quarter-finals of Melbourne and before that at the ATP Finals.

Carlos Alcaraz believes Alexander Zverev is capable of winning a Grand Slam title. "Zverev has an incredible game, is without doubt one of the best in the world at the moment and I have no doubt that he will win a Grand Slam title," the 20-year-old Spaniard told Sport Bild. The only question is "whether this year, next year or in the next three to four years".

"Mentally and physically - and in terms of his tennis level - Zverev has the quality to make it," emphasized Alcaraz.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz considers Zverev's serious injury from the semi-final of the French Open 2022 against Rafael Nadal, after which the Olympic champion was slow to return to top form, to be "painful for him and the tennis world".

"He was at his peak performance-wise, could have won the match against Rafa and Paris," said Alcaraz: "He was very close to winning a Grand Slam, but sooner or later he will win one."