Alexander Zverev was one of the top five or maybe top three favourites to lift the French Open title this year. However, in a space of two days, the World No. 3 German became the most suitable candidate on everyone’s list after an unprecedented chain of events grabbed the headlines at Roland Garros.
The 29-year-old’s path to his maiden Grand Slam title cleared up after World No. 1 Jannik Sinner perished in the unrelenting Parisian heat against unseeded Juan Manuel Cerundolo on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
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The Italian bossed the Argentine, but his fitness left him when he stood just a game away from sealing his berth in the next round. In the third set, the scorching heat took a toll on the Italian as he struggled to stand on his feet.
The chair umpire granted him a medical timeout, but even after a break, it didn’t offer him much reprieve. Cerundolo rode high on his high-flying momentum and sent Sinner packing with a 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6 defeat. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, was the next best contender to orchestrate a title-winning campaign.
He squared off against young Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca and battled his heart out but succumbed to a bitter 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 loss. With two juggernauts out of title contention, Zverev has emerged as the frontrunner to end his long-awaited Grand Slam moment. Even though odds have fallen in his favour, the German remains focused on his game and the next battle that is ahead of him.
“Yeah I think Jannik is still really really dominant. He had some heat issues and Fonseca beat Novak. He can really take the ranking out of the opponent’s hands. For me nothing changes. I am going to need to focus on myself and my next opponents,” Alexander Zverev said while speaking to Prime.
With three impressive wins on the trot, Alexander Zverev will face Jesper de Jong in the fourth round at Roland Garros on Sunday at the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier.
A look at Alexander Zverev’s splendid run at the 2026 French Open
After enduring back-to-back setbacks this season, Alexander Zverev has stamped his authority at the ongoing Grand Slam event. Throughout this clay season, Zverev has had a sniff of silverware but failed to land the decisive blow. At the Monte-Carlo Masters, Jannik Sinner ended his dreams in the semi-finals. He then returned to Munich and saw his title defence crumble in front of his home crowd against Flavio Cobolli in the last four stage yet again.
In Madrid, he broke the semi-final jinx and stormed into the final to face Sinner. But he was no match against the Italian’s prowess and surrendered to a defeat. In Rome, Liuciano Darderi orchestrated a monumental campaign to oust Zverev on the “worst” court he ever played on in the Round of 16 encounter.
At the French Open, Alexander Zverev has found his rhythm yet again as he ousted Benjamin Bonzi, Tomáš Macháč and Quentin Halys while dropping just a single set in the process. He will aim to extend his fiery form and end the tournament by conquering the maiden Grand Slam of his career.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh