Alexander Zverev finally won a Grand Slam, striking his name off the “best active players to not win a Grand Slam” list. He won the French Open recently, beating Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), and 6-1 without facing a single top-five player along the way. Although it takes nothing away from his run, Zverev himself admitted he was happy to not face a man who beat him nine times consecutively.

This week, he sat down at Queen’s Club and addressed a lingering question since the trophy was lifted. He talked about what it meant to win a Grand Slam knowing his biggest hurdle, the world number one Jannik Sinner, was already out.

“He’s just the best. I mean, what do you want me to say? He doesn’t let you breathe. He doesn’t let you get into matches; he comes at you very, very quickly,” Zverev said of Sinner.

“In Madrid I was still okay; I felt like I was playing well,” Zverev added. “But I wasn’t playing well against Jannik. That was the story for me throughout the entire year so far.”

The Madrid final ended 6-1, 6-2 to Sinner. Zverev was not making excuses, and he was not downplaying the title either. He was simply telling the truth about where his game stands against the one player on tour who has consistently made him look ordinary.

Sinner lost in the second round of Roland Garros to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo due to a controversial break that made headlines for days. Zverev did not have to face him.

“Luckily I didn’t have to play him here,” he said, before adding something that sharpened the picture considerably. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to play him. I want to play him in the biggest moments and the biggest matches. I hope we’ll play each other at Wimbledon.”

The head-to-head record of Zverev and Sinner tells the whole story. Sinner has won nine consecutive matches, including the 2025 Australian Open final, the 2026 Madrid final, and countless other meetings in which Zverev has appeared to be helpless. Sinner won the first-ever matchup, but Zverev won four straight to lead 4-1. Sinner has since won nine consecutive matches, now leading 10-4 overall.

“I hope it changes,” Zverev said. “I’ve still continued feeling good against everyone, but maybe against Jannik as well.” Now that Zverev is a Grand Slam winner, only time will tell if his newfound confidence helps him find the answer to this seemingly impossible problem.

Wimbledon Is Where the Next Chapter Gets Written for Alexander Zverev

The most interesting part of Zverev’s admission is not the vulnerability in it but the hunger underneath it. He admits he wants a rematch to prove himself, and Wimbledon, which begins on June 29, provides just that.

Zverev is seeded second, with Carlos Alcaraz out due to injury, and Sinner remaining the top seed despite his early Paris exit. If both men advance deep into the fortnight, Zverev’s meeting becomes possible in a way it hasn’t since his French Open title changed the conversation around him.

The surface gives Zverev reasons to have faith in himself. His service is one of the most lethal weapons in the sport on fast grass, and his movement, largely due to his large and lanky structure, improves considerably at the All England Club.

As an added advantage for Zverev, Sinner’s newfound weakness has been identified. Questions about his physical condition after Paris continue to arise.

Zverev played 125 matches at Grand Slams before finally winning one. When a player finally wins after 125 Grand Slam matches, that breakthrough doesn’t fade; it reshapes his confidence.

He now has the title, which gives him the freedom to pursue Sinner’s unfinished business. Zverev’s Jannik Sinner problem still persists. The difference is that Zverev no longer questions his ability to win a Grand Slam, but whether he can do it against the best player on the planet.