Alexander Zverev has had a tough test in the previous two encounters before his fourth-round clash against the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. Although Zverev started his campaign with a dominating victory against America’s Learner Tien in the first round, in the second and third rounds, he faced tough challengers in Jesper de Jong and Flavio Cobolli, respectively. Following his third-round victory, Zverev admitted, “I was very hot at some point, but he started playing incredible tennis and not missing any balls. He probably should have won the second set. But I won it and I then had a little mental advantage.” After securing a 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-1 victory against the Italian, it seems the road to the QF has become much easier for the world number 3. But why?

As per the latest reports, Tallon Griekspoor has now given a mid-match walkover to last year’s finalist. The score was at 6-4, 3-0 in favor of Zverev when the Dutchman called the physio before announcing his withdrawal from this match. However, it was not immediately clear what kind of injury Griekspoor had suffered during this blockbuster clash. This was Griekspoor’s tenth meeting against Zverev, and he has won only two out of their previous matches, and guess what? He already has a win against Zverev this year. What a shame to end their tenth encounter like this!

If we take a look at their rivalry and playing against Alexander Zverev, the Dutchman had previously said, “I actually like playing with Zverev, because I have been close every time, and he’s obviously one of the best players in the world.” Even before this match, when talking about this rivalry during an interview with Tennis Channel, Tallon Griekspoor said, “It’s been a battle all the time. It’s not like I like to play him, but somehow I do like to play him. I always get the chance, but he’s number 3 in the world for a reason. He’s one of the best players.” Having said that, Grieskpoor also claimed that if he managed to get some chances in this match, he would definitely make it a battle, but…

Fortune didn’t favor the Dutchman, despite starting the match by breaking Alexander Zverev’s opening serve and quickly building a commanding 3-0 lead in the first set. However, when it comes to making it a “battle,” he did manage to trouble the German last year in the R32 of the French Open. The match started with Griekspoor taking away the first set by 6-3, but then Zverev came back strongly in the second and third. However, Griekspoor’s serve-and-volley tactics always keep the German on his toes in that encounter in 2024.

Although Zverev managed to end the match on a winning note by a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) margin that time, he revealed, “He was k-lling me with the serve and volley for a set and a half of, you know, fourth set and the fifth set… My first mindset was, okay, right, I am down 4-1, but how do I give myself the best chance to come back, and the number one thing I had to take away was his serve and volley game, which was working out very well today for him.”

Later on, Zverev also claimed, “I don’t like to play against him, but all the credit to him, taking it all the way.” But having said that, he also praised Tallon Griekspoor, saying, “Incredible player and fighter until the end.”

But with this abrupt ending to his fourth-round match, Zverev is all set to take on either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in the QF. Can he keep his winning run intact and secure his first major title at the 2025 French Open? Let’s check out what the experts have to say about his chances in this edition.

“He is going to win a Grand Slam”—Tennis legend shares a bold verdict on Alexander Zverev

Last year, Alexander Zverev came inches closer to clinching his first major title at the French Open. But Carlos Alcaraz spoiled his party with a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win against the German. Following that match, Zverev said, “I felt like this Grand Slam final, I did everything I could. At the US Open (2020), I kind of gave it away myself. It’s a bit different.” Although after that, he reached the finals of the 2025 AO, Jannik Sinner had then defeated him in a three-set thriller.

When is the tennis world going to see him lift a Grand Slam title? Well, talking about his chances at the 2025 French Open, tennis legend Tim Henman said, “There is always some of these players that go under the radar. I have been debating for a long time whether he is going to win a Grand Slam. He has been in three Slam finals, and I was very strong on him at the end of last year and then was very excited when he got to the Australian Open final. He hasn’t done it yet, but I believe he will. It’s tough for him when you think [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic, and [Andy] Murray. When they retire, he is the next guy on the rank, but [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner have overtaken him.” Henman hailed Zverev’s phenomenal work ethic in that interview with TNT Sports and also claimed that he’s optimistic about his chances in the near future.

On the other hand, American legend Andy Roddick also praised Zverev recently for raising his level at the Grand Slam tournaments. “It’s so weird because the narrative around Zverev is that he hasn’t won a major. That he can’t win that major. But what is lost in that narrative is that he is so good in majors. He is definitely better in the extended format against most players on Earth, maybe save for three or four. But against most of Earth, the three-out-of-five set format favors Zverev.” But having said that, Roddick claimed that Alexander Zverev will have a tough time if he has to face the three-time champion, Novak Djokovic, in the QF. Do you agree with it, though?