From glory to gloom: Alexander Zverev’s Roland Garros run is overshadowed by tying Ferrer’s infamous record

Alexander Zverev has moved to within three wins of his first Grand Slam title.

The German booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the French Open after a straight-sets victory over lucky loser Jesper de Jong.

While this year’s Roland Garros has been packed with five-set battles, Zverev has managed to keep things short, dropping just one set on his way through the early rounds.

With Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both bowing out early, Zverev is now seen as the favourite to lift the trophy.

It’s not a record he’ll be too proud of. It’s something no player wants tied to their name – but it doesn’t mean that he can’t go on to win at Roland Garros. He just doesn’t want to extend it any further and break new ground in an unwanted sense.

Alexander Zverev ties David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych’s Grand Slam record

Many see Zverev as the best men’s player to never win a Grand Slam, and his career numbers make a strong case for that label.

His latest victory brings him level with David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych, both of whom reached 17 Grand Slam quarter-finals without ever winning a major.

Out of those 17 quarter-finals, Zverev has turned seven into semi-final appearances and reached three Grand Slam finals along the way.

He played in major finals at the 2020 US Open, the 2024 French Open, and the 2025 Australian Open.

Zverev came closest in New York in 2020 when he went two sets up against Dominic Thiem before losing out to an incredible fightback from the Austrian.

Path to the final: Who stands between Zverev and a Grand Slam

Zverev will face 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in the quarter-finals, who has been one of the stories of the clay season. The Spaniard reached his first ATP semi-final in Barcelona and followed that up with quarterfinal appearances in both Madrid and Rome.

This will be their first meeting at tour level, and Jodar will be hoping to continue his impressive run by pulling off an upset over Zverev.

If he advances, Zverev will then face either Joao Fonseca or Jakub Mensik in the semi-finals. He holds positive records against both players.

Earlier this year, Zverev defeated Fonseca in Monte-Carlo and Mensik in Madrid, so he’ll feel confident about his chances should those matchups come to fruition again.

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