Alexander Zverev Told He’s Better Than Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in One Area: “The Guy Is Just a Workhorse”

Alexander Zverev is in Shanghai, two wins away from ending his Masters 1000 title drought. Sascha is chasing his third title of the season in the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season, after his victories at the French Open and the US Open.

At the Paris Major, he ended his Grand Slam title drought with a five-set thriller over Flavio Cobolli. Zverev then reached the final of Wimbledon, only to lose to defending champion Jannik Sinner. But later at the US Open, he doubled his Major title tally with a four-set win over home favorite Ben Shelton.

In both the French Open and the US Open, Zverev did not face either Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. He trails 6-7 against Alcaraz, but against Sinner, he’s 4-11, and his Wimbledon final loss was his 10th straight defeat at the hands of the five-time Grand Slam champion.

And this is why many believe the German wouldn’t have won the Majors had both Sinner and Alcaraz been healthy. But according to John Isner, Zverev is better than both Sinner and Alcaraz in one area: his ability to remain healthy in spite of playing non-stop tennis.

Incredibly impressive, still rolling. He’s played so much and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He hasn’t really taken many weeks off. He’s played everything. You’ve seen Alcaraz get hurt; Sinner’s not playing the rest of the year. A lot of guys are getting hurt, whereas Zverev is just the most durable man on tour, and he really has been throughout his whole career, apart from that one freak injury when he rolled his ankle.

John Isner said on the Nothing Major podcast

Alcaraz injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open and skipped several tournaments, including the French Open and Wimbledon. He returned to the tour at the US Open, where he lost to eventual runner-up Shelton in the quarterfinals. Sinner is nursing a knee injury and was last seen in action in the Wimbledon final. Due to the injury, he has now ended his season.

You never see him missing a tournament for maintenance things. It’s impressive. You’d think he’d throw in a stinker in Shanghai, right? With how much tennis he’s played, but no, he’s moving just as well, serving just as well. It’s thoroughly deserved him being number one in the world; very happy for him. The guy is just a workhorse.

John Isner added

Sinner has won the most titles this season. Before Wimbledon, he added five Masters 1000 titles to his trophy cabinet.

Alexander Zverev will become the newest World No.1

Jannik Sinner is the reigning champion in Vienna, Paris, and at the ATP Finals. But as he won’t be competing in these events, he will lose his No.1 ranking to Alexander Zverev.

The 29-year-old has never reached No. 1 in the rankings. Sinner became World No.1 in mid-2024 and lost it to Carlos Alcaraz last year. But after defeating the seven-time Grand Slam champion in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, Sinner reclaimed his No.1 ranking.

In the ongoing Shanghai Masters, Zverev will lock horns with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals. Before scheduling the match against the Spaniard, Zverev went past Alex de Minaur.

Before Shanghai, Zverev played the China Open, where his campaign ended at the hands of eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Zverev is a former runner-up in Shanghai, losing in 2019 to Daniil Medvedev. He will face Medvedev or Rafael Jodar in the final if he beats Fokina.

Also read: Alexander Zverev Vows to Correct ‘Pretty Useless Habit’ After Rivals’ Complaints