ATP Rival Doesn’t Think Alexander Zverev Can Dethrone Jannik Sinner from No.1 Ranking: “Absolutely Not”

Alexander Zverev is 1,810 points behind World No.1 Jannik Sinner. Sinner lost 1,300 points because he skipped the US Open due to his knee injury. Zverev ended the season’s last major in his favor with a four-set victory over Ben Shelton. Before reaching his first Grand Slam final, Shelton shocked the tennis world when he knocked out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

Shelton’s first-round opponent was Tallon Griekspoor, whom he defeated in four sets. In an interview with De Telegraaf, Griekspoor said Alcaraz should have reached the final instead of Shelton.

Alcaraz should have beaten him in the quarterfinals, but he played a nightmare tiebreak in the fifth set. Then Alcaraz walked off the court smiling. I felt like that showed what his expectations were. He hadn’t come into the tournament in top form. I think he and his staff were already satisfied with that.

At Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz played his first tournament since recovering from the wrist injury. He made it clear that his main goal was not to win the tournament but to see his level. The seven-time Grand Slam champion lost his No.1 ranking earlier this year after losing to Sinner in the Monte Carlo final and currently sits in third place. Sinner went on to increase the gap after winning the remaining Big Titles on clay before defending his crown at Wimbledon.

With Zverev having reduced the gap to Sinner, he has a golden opportunity to reach his career-best ranking. Griekspoor, however, doesn’t think the German can dethrone the five-time Grand Slam champion.

Absolutely not. There’s not a hair on my head that thinks so. I hope they [Sinner and Alcaraz] both return to great levels very soon. But if those two were to fail during a tournament, Zverev is always the one who is ready. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ended his career with four or five Slams.

Tallon Griekspoor added

The Dutchman also criticized Zverev for bouncing the ball too many times before serving, saying it’s “hard to watch” him because of it. Griekspoor trails 3-9 in the head-to-head matchups versus Zverev, winning their last meeting in the second round of this year’s Canadian Open.

Andy Roddick backs Alexander Zverev for Hall of Fame

Before this year’s French Open, Alexander Zverev was considered the best player to never win a Grand Slam title. He has won an Olympic gold medal, two ATP Finals, seven Masters 1000s, and six ATP 500 titles. The only thing missing in his trophy cabinet was a Grand Slam title.

And now that he has won not one but two Majors in a single season, former ATP World No.1 Andy Roddick has backed him for the Hall of Fame. Many in the tennis world don’t want Zverev to be inducted into the Hall of Fame because of domestic violence allegations by his two ex-girlfriends, Brenda Patea and Olga Sharypova.

Zverev, two Slams. I don’t know what he has, like seven 1000s or something like that. Two World Tour Finals, Olympic gold medal, so he’s in, right? I mean, people will always vote because there’s obviously been controversy, which we’re going to keep tennis-centric today. So you can be angry. It’s not like we haven’t acknowledged it before. But he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame. I think that’s it.

Andy Roddick said on his Served podcast

Zverev had reached three finals before this season. He lost to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open, and to Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open.

Also read: Toni Nadal Believes Ben Shelton Would’ve Become One of Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘Biggest Rivals’ Had He Won US Open