Zverev Needs to Take More Risks, Says Veteran Coach

Alexander Zverev finally claimed his first Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year, but the road to consistent dominance still runs through Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Veteran American coach Rick Macci, who has worked with Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, and Jennifer Capriati over the years, believes Zverev must make two key tactical adjustments to truly compete with those rivals.

Macci told Florida Tennis that Zverev stands far too deep behind the baseline when returning serve, leaving himself exposed and unable to apply pressure early in rallies. The coach wants Zverev to step closer to the baseline, use his backhand to attack on the rise, and come to the net more frequently. He also pointed to confidence as a crucial ingredient, calling it Zverev's real "wildcard." Zverev holds a lopsided 4-11 losing record against Sinner, with the Italian winning their last 10 meetings. Against Alcaraz the head-to-head is far tighter at 6-7, and Zverev even served for the match at the Australian Open before dropping a five-set thriller.

Mouratoglou Questions Alcaraz's Cheerful Exit from New York

Alcaraz made his comeback from a wrist injury at the US Open in New York and reached the quarterfinals before falling to Ben Shelton in a fifth-set tiebreak after more than four hours on court. Alcaraz publicly said he left the court happy and proud of how he competed. However, Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams for a decade and more recently worked with Holger Rune, pushed back firmly on that narrative.

In a LinkedIn post, Mouratoglou wrote that champions are defined by hating to lose, and suggested Alcaraz may have arrived in New York without genuinely believing he could win the title, given the limited preparation time after his injury layoff. He acknowledged the growing culture of gracious losing on tour but argued that real champions cannot truly be comfortable with defeat. TennisDraw users had Alcaraz penciled deep into the draw before his quarterfinal exit surprised many bracket forecasters.