Alexander Zverev Drops a Truth Bomb About the ‘Big 3’ Era After Advancing to the Australian Open Quarterfinals
Alexander Zverev is seeking to reach a fourth Grand Slam final of his career.
Follow Us
Alexander Zverev (via ATP Tour)
🔍 Explore this post with:
Alexander Zverev is doing two things incredibly well right now: crushing tennis balls and stirring the pot.
The German superstar has punched his ticket to the Australian Open quarter-finals, and frankly, he looks terrifyingly good.
But while his racket was doing the talking on the court against Francisco Cerundolo, it was his mouth doing the work in the press room. Zverev has officially reignited the fiercest debate in the sport: Is the modern game actually better than the golden era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic? Zverev said in the press conference:
When I started to stand out in my career, it was very difficult to win a Grand Slam because they were practically decided beforehand. In Australia, Novak would win, in Paris, Rafa, and at Wimbledon it was either Roger or Novak. Perhaps the only one where there was a chance of an upset was the US Open…It’s clear that Jannik and Carlos are very dominant, but I hope that will change. In any case, I want to point out that this doesn’t mean tennis is worse now, quite the opposite. The level has risen; we have a faster and more physical style of tennis than before, when the Big 3 dominated
It’s a bold question to ask while the man is still hunting for his first major trophy, but Zverev has never been one to shy away from the spotlight. The German has won basically everything except the Grand Slam, and he is three wins away from doing that.
It’s a fascinating argument. Zverev points to the physicality, the speed, and the depth of the current tour. While the dominance of the Big 3 is unmatched, the sheer athleticism required to win a point in 2026 is off the charts. Zverev isn’t disrespecting the legends; he’s suggesting that the sport has evolved. The balls are hit harder, the players are faster, and there are no “easy” rounds anymore.
A masterclass in efficiency from Alexander Zverev
German tennis star Alexander Zverev’s first week in Melbourne was a bit of a grind. He was getting dragged into four-set dogfights, looking frustrated, and spending way too much time in the Australian heat. That all changed against Francisco Cerundolo.
This wasn’t a battle; it was a dismissal. Zverev swept the Argentine 16th seed aside with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline that honestly felt even more lopsided than it looks on paper. It was clinical.
For the first time this tournament, the fans saw the version of Zverev that looks like a Grand Slam champion. There were no mental lapses, no smashed rackets, and no mid-match dips in energy. Just pure, unadulterated power hitting.
Chasing the ghost of past finals
In Grand Slams, Alexander Zverev has been to the mountain top, but he hasn’t planted the flag yet. This is his 16th time reaching the last eight of a major. He’s been to three finals. He lost the Australian Open final just last year to Jannik Sinner.
That history adds a layer of desperation to this run. You get the sense that Zverev knows the clock is ticking. He isn’t the “next gen” anymore; he is the “now gen.” With his health finally back to 100%—he admitted he’s been playing through pain for months but feels fluid again—there are no more excuses.
He’s evolving, too. Fans are seeing more serve-and-volley tactics and delicate drop shots, tools he has borrowed from the very best. He knows he can’t just out-hit everyone from the baseline anymore; he has to out-think them.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)