Zverev: "Tennis has improved compared to the era of Big 3 dominance"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 25 Jan 2026 | 12.00

Alexander Zverev compares the Big 3 with Sinner and Alcaraz. Photo: gettyimages

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The eternal debate among tennis fans has now moved to the press conference of the 2026 Australian Open, with the most appropriate person to give an opinion on it. Alexander Zverev has built his career during a still glorious era of the Big 3 and the emergence of two new dominant geniuses on the circuit. What has changed in tennis between these two stages? Has the level risen?

After securing his spot in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open, it was time for Alexander Zverev to speak at the press conference and share some truly interesting reflections. Zverev doesn't hold back and expresses some certainties emphatically. Some focus on his evident improvement in tennis performance at the beginning of 2026, while others highlight the comparison between the two tennis eras in which he has had to develop his career, living in the shadow of legends.

Alexander Zverev's statements at the 2026 Australian Open press conference

Playing sensations in the early stages of 2026

"I have played six matches so far this year and I am feeling very good. I know that the level of demand will increase now in the second week, but I am ready to maintain maximum focus. The fact that I am playing without pain is crucial for my improvement. Also, during the preseason, I was able to train a lot. Last year, I could barely work on any aspect of my game because I needed to recover from my physical problems. Furthermore, when you compete without feeling pain, tennis is much more enjoyable," said the German.

How to face his quarterfinal match in extreme heat

It is expected that on Tuesday, when Sascha plays his quarterfinal match, there will be extreme temperatures, but this is not something that seems to worry the German. "I assume they will make me play in the daytime session, and therefore, they will close the roof because we will reach extreme heat. This does not concern me because historically, I have always performed very well in hot conditions," said the current world number 3, who is striving to close the gap with the best players.

His opinion on his next opponent, Learner Tien

"I did not expect him to beat Medvedev so easily. I will analyze that match because I have great respect for Learner. He is very young and has enormous potential. There is a lot of talk about other players his age, but not so much about him, when in reality, he is the one performing at a higher level. I love his work ethic. I believe that my years of experience can be important for this match, but Tien must have worked a lot mentally to not succumb to nerves in a match like the one ahead," he commented.

Involvement of his coaching team on-court coaching

"I like that talking to coaches during the match is allowed, and I also like that it is not being overused. It's great to see how all the players continue to solve their problems, but we have the peace of mind that if they have to say something to us, they don't need to do it with hidden signals. My team knows me perfectly because most of them are family. They know I want to see them motivated, and each one has their role," stated Sascha.

Comparison of the level of tennis between the current era and the Big 3 era

"When I started to stand out in my career, it was very difficult to win a Grand Slam because they were practically already divided. In Australia, Novak would win, in Paris, Rafa, and at Wimbledon, it was either Roger or Novak. Perhaps the only one where there was room for surprise was the US Open," he began reflecting.

"During the last two seasons, all the Grand Slam titles have been split between Sinner and Alcaraz, but I feel that the fact that the surfaces have changed and become more uniform among themselves allows all of us to dream of winning on any stage. It is evident that Jannik and Carlos are very dominant, but I hope that changes. In any case, I want to point out that this does not mean that tennis is worse now; on the contrary, the level has risen, and we have faster and more physical tennis than before when the Big 3 dominated," excitedly affirmed Alexander Zverev about his performance at the 2026 Australian Open.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev: "El tenis ha mejorado respecto a la época de dominio del Big 3"