"Zverev is still not part of the 'Big Three' with Alcaraz and Sinner"

Alexander Zverev is currently at the top of the world. After winning Roland Garros and the US Open, the German tennis player has lifted a great weight off his shoulders and elevated his legacy to the next level. However, many are trying to undermine his two Grand Slams by pointing out that he has not faced Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, one of whom has been Nicolás Escudé, a former world number 17 and Australian Open semifinalist.

At the US Open, 'Sascha' took advantage of Sinner's withdrawal and that Alcaraz arrived in a delicate condition after being out of the circuit for four and a half months. At Roland Garros, it was more of the same, as the Spanish player did not compete due to injury and the Italian lost in the second round after suffering some physical issues that sent him home early. Without taking away from the great season he is having, Escudé made some statements to Eurosport France, being as honest as possible.

"He still does not belong to the 'Big Three' alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He will be part of it when he wins Grand Slams by defeating them. When Novak Djokovic started competing with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, he became part of the Big Three the moment he started beating them. That is not the case for Zverev yet. But the season he just had was incredible," he concluded.

Zverev has only faced 2 top 20 players between Roland Garros and the US Open

It’s not that Nicolás has discovered America, as Zverev himself stated in a press conference that he is aware of the absence of his two main rivals. In fact, at the Australian Open, he did face Alcaraz in the semifinals and lost after a grueling match where he even had serve for the win. At Wimbledon, he also faced Sinner in the final, and despite playing at a high level, he ended up succumbing to the talent of the world number 1.

It’s also not Zverev's fault for being the most consistent and steady player on the circuit. At Roland Garros, he did not face a single top 20 until the final against Flavio Cobolli, though he had to defeat Rafa Jódar and Jakub Mensik along the way. At this US Open, it has been more of the same, as most of the favorites on his side of the draw have fallen out earlier than expected.

This factor has "tainted" Zverev's victories as they have not been against the greats of the circuit, but it also shows that there is a step between the German and all those who are not Alcaraz and Sinner. Looking ahead to 2026, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to maintain the level and results or whether he will succumb again to the dominance of the Spanish and the Italian.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Zverev todavía no forma parte del "Big Three" con Alcaraz y Sinner"