ALEXANDER ZVEREV MAKES HISTORY: BROKEN RECORD CONFIRMS HE IS TENNIS' MOST UNFORTUNATE TOP STAR
Alexander Zverev makes history in 2025, surpassing Tomas Berdych for the most weeks in the top 10 without winning a Grand Slam.
2025 was a tough year for Alexander Zverev. The German athlete struggled, both physically and mentally.
Even though he had a hard time, the 28-year-old still ended the year ranked third worldwide. He even won a title in his home country, Munich. But he struggled at the big tournaments.
Zverev's record in Grand Slam finals went to 0-3 after he lost to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final in January. Then, Novak Djokovic beat him in the French Open quarterfinals.
Things got worse when Arthur Rinderknech upset him in the first round at Wimbledon. And his Grand Slam season ended when Felix Auger-Aliassime beat him in the third round of the US Open.
Zverev is a very successful player, and many people think he's the best male player of his time to not win a Grand Slam singles title. He's been competing at the highest level for years.
Now, Zverev has unfortunately made history in 2025 because he hasn't won a major title yet.
Earlier in the month, Zverev broke a record for the most weeks in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings without winning a Grand Slam title.
Weeks in top 10 without a Grand Slam win (ATP):
5) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – 260 weeks
Tsonga surprised everyone by making it to the Australian Open final in 2008. He had a great career, spending 260 weeks in the top 10 and winning 18 ATP Tour titles. But he never reached another Grand Slam final.
4) Nikolay Davydenko – 268 weeks
Davydenko was in the top 10 for 268 weeks. He reached third place in 2006. He won 21 ATP Tour titles and made it to the semi-finals of the French Open and US Open twice. Some people think he's the greatest player to never reach a major final.
3) David Ferrer – 358 weeks
Ferrer reached third place and was in the top 10 for 358 weeks. He won 27 ATP Tour titles. He lost to Rafael Nadal in the 2013 French Open final and was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open and US Open.
2) Tomas Berdych – 369 weeks
Berdych was in the top 10 for 369 weeks and reached fourth place. He had seven straight years in the top 10. The Czech player won 13 ATP titles and reached the 2010 Wimbledon final. He also made it to the semi-finals of the other three majors.
1) Alexander Zverev – 373 weeks
The German player could reach 400 weeks in the top 10 in 2026. He has already won 24 ATP Tour titles but is still waiting for his first major. Before the 2025 Australian Open, he was a runner-up at the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
