27 years, 23 titles, and an Olympic Gold, but a Grand Slam title still eludes Alexander Zverev. The German superstar, having dominated the ATP tour for years with wins over Roger Federer and others has entered the 2025 season with the hope of ending the long-time curse. But what exactly is preventing him from laying his hands on a Grand Slam trophy? Naomi Osaka‘s head coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, in a recent video, decoded the technicals that have denied him of the glory

Sharing his thoughts on Alexander Zverev’s journey in tennis, Mouratoglou believes the German has made big improvements. He said, “He has been very close already, but I think there were things in his game that were preventing him.” However, Mouratoglou explained the key issues in Zverev’s style. “It is the movement from behind the baseline to inside the baseline. First of all, he was standing very far from the baseline, relying a lot on his defensive skills, counter-punching skills, movement, which is great. But at some point, when you want to win a Grand Slam, you need to also be able to make points, to make winners, to be decisive,” he added.

Praising Zverev’s recent progress, Mouratoglou further remarked, “If I look at him playing now and last year, he had a great year, probably the best year of his career in terms of level. He is much closer to the baseline, first of all, and then he is moving forward much more than before and less and less hesitation.”

Alexander Zverev has come close to winning a Grand Slam multiple times. At the 2020 US Open, he reached the final against Dominic Thiem. Zverev won the first two sets but could not maintain the momentum. Thiem bounced back to win the next three sets and claimed his first Grand Slam title. A similar story unfolded at the 2024 French Open final. Zverev faced Carlos Alcaraz, who was seeking his first clay-court Grand Slam. After leading by two sets to one, Zverev could not capitalize and lost the match.

Despite this, Sascha has managed to have an illustrious career. The German superstar has had several career highlights. He won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, defeating Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and Karen Khachanov in the final. He is a two-time ATP Finals champion, winning in 2018 and 2021. As a teenager, Zverev made history by becoming one of the youngest players to win a Challenger Tour title, when he was just 17. He also upset then-world No. 3 Roger Federer on grass, showcasing his early potential. Not only this, Zverev is a former junior world No. 1. He has also won a junior major singles title at the 2014 Australian Open.

Despite all this, Zverev is still without a Grand Slam trophy. Boris Becker recently revealed what the World No. 2 exactly needs to do to land Grand Slam success.

Boris Becker reveals timeline for Alexander Zverev to win a Grand Slam

Six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker shared his thoughts on Alexander Zverev’s chances of winning a major title. Becker believes Zverev is at a critical point in his career where time is of the essence. “He is now at an age where he has to do it,” the German legend said.

“For me, Sascha has to win the Grand Slam title he longs for in the next 18 months, because otherwise, it will be much more difficult than it is now,” he added. Becker emphasized the urgency for Zverev to capitalize on his peak years while he has the opportunity.

Becker also discussed the key to Zverev breaking through at the majors. He feels Zverev needs to find “that one per cent” that could take him over the line in crucial matches. While Zverev is currently coached by his father, Alexander Zverev Sr., Becker suggested that a “super coach” might make the difference.

“The father is already very dominant. And the mother is dominant. It’s a family business. They did everything 99 per cent right. But that one per cent is missing,” Becker explained.

Alexander Zverev also recently opened up about the thought of adding Boris Becker to his coaching team. However, he emphasized that he would have to consider if Becker would be able to travel with him around the world.

Zverev previously worked with top coaches like Ivan Lendl, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Sergi Bruguera. Becker believes a similar approach could help him achieve his long-awaited Grand Slam victory. Already a 27-year-old, will he be able to clinch Grand Slam success? Let us know in the comments below!