Toni Nadal Gives Brutal Assessment of Alexander Zverev After Another Grand Slam Failure

Alexander Zverev has once again failed in a Grand Slam event. Sascha, one of the best players in the world, has so far featured in three Major finals but has yet to taste glory.

In the recently concluded Australian Open, Zverev, who finished as runner-up last year, has once again suffered an exit. He played an epic semifinal against eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, with the match lasting for five hours and 27 minutes, also the longest semifinal in the history of the Australian Open. Following the event, Rafael Nadal‘s uncle Toni Nadal has given a brutal assessment of Zverev, who he thinks lacks something be a Grand Slam champion.

Sascha is a very competitive player and is dangerous for everyone, but he lacks something from a mental point of view. Everyone has understood that he feels the pressure of having to win a Grand Slam title.

Toni Nadal said on Radioestadio Noche

Zverev played his first career Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, losing in five sets to Dominic Thiem. Then at the 2024 Roland Garros, he lost in five sets to Alcaraz. Last year in the Australian Open final, he suffered a disappointing straight-set defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner.

Andy Roddick backs Carlos Alcaraz for taking a medical timeout during his match against Alexander Zverev

Carlos Alcaraz suffered from cramps and threw up on a towel twice during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. He eventually took a medical timeout, citing physical discomfort.

Later at the press conference, he said he took the medical timeout thinking he had injured his adductor muscle, though he didn’t deny that he dealt with cramps as well. Zverez, in the heat of the moment during the match, accused the Australian Open of “protecting” Alcaraz as well as Jannik Sinner.

Andy Roddick, on his Served podcast, has now given his verdict on the controversy, defending the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

There are two things that people are going to say which I fully disagree with. Every single player on Earth would take what Carlos did, because if I have a cramp, I 100% would have been able to do the mental gymnastics to say my groin hurts a little. If the decision is not my own and it’s written in the rules as the job [physio], if you can punt responsibility to a third party and it’s within the rules for them to make a judgment, yes.

Zverev, when asked about the medical timeout controversy in the press room, chose not to share his views on it. He didn’t want that moment to overshadow the incredible match he had just played against the World No.1.

This person works for everyone equally in the entire tournament. That physio comes out, and Carlos goes, ‘My groin hurts.’ What are you going to say? Carlos, you are lying to me. I am not going to treat you. Zero chance! Impossible. You can suspect it, but if you do not know for sure, you cannot make that judgment.

Andy Roddick added

Alcaraz, after reaching his career’s first Australian Open final, downed Novak Djokovic in four sets to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. The win also improved the Spaniard’s head-to-head record over the 24-time Major champion to 5-5.

It was Alcaraz’s second consecutive victory over the 38-year-old following last year’s win in the US Open semifinal. Djokovic, on the other hand, made a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2024 Wimbledon (lost that match to Alcaraz). En route to scheduling the match against the Murcia native, Djokovic knocked out Sinner in the semifinals.

Also read: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard Suffers a Bizarre Eye Injury Before Retiring at Montpellier 

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