Alexander Zverev has sparked backlash among tennis fans following his recent comments about Carlos Alcaraz’s chances at the 2025 French Open. The German suggested that the second-seeded Spaniard is unlikely to face serious competition before the final, implying that the toughest threats are in the other half of the draw.
Speaking to the media after his straight-sets victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the third round on Saturday, May 31, Zverev didn’t hold back.
“I honestly think Carlos will be in the final,” he said. “To be fair, I don’t think there’s anyone on that side of the draw who can really challenge him.”
The comments quickly drew criticism on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where many fans accused the 28-year-old of arrogance and disrespect toward fellow competitors. Some labeled his remarks as an example of why he is often seen as unpopular in the tennis community.
“This is why no one likes Zverev,” one fan posted, adding laughing emojis.
Another critic wrote, “So disrespectful to his colleagues. Zverev hasn’t even won a Grand Slam, and yet he talks like this.”
Some pointed out that the German appeared to include himself among the elite contenders Alcaraz would face only in the final, which rubbed several fans the wrong way.
“He’s acting like he’s the one to beat,” a fan commented.
“Like Zverev can challenge Alcaraz,” another posted sarcastically.
“‘We’? What does he mean by that?” one user questioned rhetorically, mocking Zverev’s implied self-inclusion among Alcaraz’s toughest opponents.
Meanwhile, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is set to face 13th seed Ben Shelton on Sunday for a place in the quarterfinals. If victorious, the Spaniard will go on to play the winner of the match between 12th-seeded Tommy Paul and 25th-seeded Alexei Popyrin.
Potential semifinal opponents for Alcaraz include eighth-seeded Holger Rune or 10th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, who are scheduled to clash in a highly anticipated fourth-round encounter.
Zverev, currently ranked World No. 3, will meet 35th-ranked Tallon Griekspoor in the fourth round on Monday, June 2. The German holds a dominant 7–2 head-to-head record over the Dutchman, though Griekspoor did upset Zverev in three sets at Indian Wells earlier this year.
If Zverev advances, it will mark his seventh quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros. The 2024 finalist has consistently performed well on the Parisian clay, having also reached the semifinals from 2021 to 2023 and the quarterfinals in both 2018 and 2019.
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