Zverev's coach defends Grand Slam wins over injured rivals

Alexander Zverev's coach has delivered a pointed verdict on the injuries that sidelined Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner during the 2026 Grand Slam season. Mischa Zverev, the German star's brother and coach, suggested the young stars' physical setbacks reveal a weakness, defending his brother's maiden major victories at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Many observers have claimed Zverev's breakthrough was facilitated solely by the absence of his top rivals. Alcaraz missed the French Open with a wrist injury, while a knee problem kept Sinner out of the US Open. Zverev capitalized on both opportunities to win the titles.

Mischa Zverev's injury analysis

In an interview, Mischa Zverev directly addressed the criticism. "Why weren’t they there? Because they were injured," he said. He then offered a blunt assessment of the causes. "Why do we get injured? Because, in some way, you’re not strong enough, or because you’ve done too much."

The coach contrasted this with his brother's own career resilience. He highlighted Alexander Zverev's return from a severe ankle injury in 2022, which some thought would end his elite career. Zverev came back to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Defending the champion's habits

The interview also covered the frequent criticism of Alexander Zverev's lengthy ball-bouncing routine before serves. Mischa Zverev dismissed these complaints as irrelevant nitpicking in the face of success. It’s like when you win a Grand Slam tournament and someone complains about the color of your socks, he joked.

He argued that winners will always attract minor critiques. The focus, he implied, should remain on the achievement of winning two major championships.

Zverev's packed schedule

Following his US Open win, Alexander Zverev returned to competition at the Davis Cup. There, he scored straight-sets victories over Matej Dodig and Dino Prizmic to help Germany defeat Croatia.

His schedule remains busy. He is next set to compete for Team Europe at the Laver Cup. The team will be captained by Yannick Noah and Tim Henman.

The Laver Cup line-ups feature several top players:

After the team event, Zverev will embark on the ATP Tour's Asian swing. His first tournament will be the ATP 500 China Open in Beijing. With a strong finish to the season, he has a very good chance of claiming the world No. 1 ranking, potentially capping an extraordinary 2026.