Heavy favourite Jannik Sinner’s shock loss in the second round meant what was expected to be a one-horse race became a free for all.
German second seed Zverev took over as the clear front-runner to claim the Coupe des Mousquetaires – but he has scar tissue from three previous Grand Slam final defeats.
The 28-year-old missed a golden opportunity in the 2020 US Open final when he blew a two-set lead against Austria’s Dominic Thiem.
In the 2024 French Open final, he came up against a better opponent in Carlos Alcaraz – whose emergence alongside Sinner meant many thought Zverev had missed his chance to land a major.
Zverev was also undone in last year’s Australian Open final by Sinner, who produced a merciless performance which led to the German saying he felt mentally “empty” a few months later.
With Alcaraz, Sinner and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic out of the way, Zverev will arguably never have a better opportunity to land the Grand Slam he has long been predicted to win.
Will Zverev keep his composure? He claims he “doesn’t care” he is considered the favourite.
“I focus on the next match and on the opponent as they cross the net, and that’s the only thing that I can control,” he said.
“If I win those matches, then that’s great.”