"Zverev is the best player on the planet"

Alexander Zverev is having the best season of his career. The German tennis player has surpassed himself and has won two Grand Slams that have elevated his legacy to the next level. Some say that the absence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in his path in those majors "stains" his victories, but Greg Rusedski does not hesitate to label him as the best tennis player in the world.

At Roland Garros, it was Alcaraz who did not play due to injury, and Sinner lost in the second round due to physical issues, which Zverev took advantage of to win the first Grand Slam of his career, facing only one top 20 player throughout the tournament. At the US Open, the situation has been similar. The Italian player did not compete, and the Spaniard arrived with concerns after his wrist injury. Again, Zverev won his second major, facing just one top 20 player in the entire tournament. However, according to Rusedski, this does not diminish his merit.

"When he won Roland Garros, it was expected that he would win when Sinner was eliminated, and then, being the number 1 seed at the US Open, he achieved victory on both occasions. Sinner is the number 1 in the world. For me, based on the results in the majors, Zverev is the best player on the planet this year. That is where we define greatness. It is very rare for a player who wins two majors in a year not to be the number 1 in the world," he stated in his podcast.

Is Zverev part of the 'Big Three' with Alcaraz and Sinner?

To justify this opinion, Rusedski has commented on what is an open secret, as there is no doubt that Zverev has been the most consistent player of the season. He has won two Grand Slams, reached another final, and was close to defeating Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Australian Open. “He has been by far the best in the Grand Slam tournaments. He could have reached the final in Australia serving for the match against Alcaraz at 5-3. And besides, he won Roland Garros and then the Wimbledon final before winning his second Grand Slam at the US Open," he continued.

In conclusion, Rusedski acknowledged that Zverev "is a great player and those who doubted him before this year were crazy. Winning Grand Slams is not easy, especially with players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and, more recently, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Now we see a different Zverev. That is dangerous for others, because all the best players say he has the best serve in tennis. Now there is no doubt he does. We can also say that we now have a Big 3 at the top of men's tennis because Zverev has stepped up.

It might be too bold to place him on the same level as Alcaraz and Sinner given that he has not managed to beat them in Grand Slams, although it is clear that he is on the right path. 2027 will be key to determine whether, with Alcaraz and Sinner healthy, he is capable of matching them and achieving another major, as otherwise, it will be shown that he remains one or two steps below them.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Zverev es el mejor jugador del planeta"