From Perennial Finalist to Double Champion
For years, Alexander Zverev carried the weight of unrealized Grand Slam potential. Three major final defeats, including a gut-wrenching collapse while serving for the 2020 US Open title against Dominic Thiem, made the question feel almost cruel. Then came 2026, and everything changed. The German claimed his maiden Roland Garros crown with a five-set victory over Flavio Cobolli, then crossed the Atlantic and captured the US Open at Flushing Meadows by defeating Ben Shelton in four sets. Two majors. One season. Long overdue, in the eyes of many.
Nobody put it more plainly than Roger Federer, who told Sports Illustrated he was "incredibly happy" for the 29-year-old, describing the titles as long overdue given Zverev's ability. Federer was candid about what had held the German back for so long: a tendency to become too passive at the baseline during the most critical moments. He noted that many people in Zverev's circle, including Federer himself, had urged him for years to play more boldly and dictate rallies rather than wait for opponents to make mistakes.
A New No. 1 Emerges at the Top of Men's Tennis
Zverev's performances against Cobolli and Shelton proved he had absorbed that lesson. Against Cobolli he recovered from dropping the fourth set to close out with a dominant final set, while against Shelton he maintained his level through a testing third set to seal victory. Federer pointed to those moments as proof that Zverev finally "dared to play bold tennis" when it mattered most.
The reward extends beyond trophies. With Jannik Sinner ending his season early through injury, Zverev is guaranteed to reach the world No. 1 ranking for the first time, becoming the first German to hold that distinction since Boris Becker. TennisDraw users tracking Zverev's title run correctly flagged him as a bracket favorite at both Roland Garros and the US Open this season.
