Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci believes Alexander Zverev must become more aggressive if he wants to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner more consistently in the years ahead.

Zverev captured his first Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year, doing so in a major where Sinner exited earlier than expected and Alcaraz was absent because of a wrist injury. At the US Open, Sinner did not take part because of a knee issue, while Alcaraz returned and reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual finalist Ben Shelton.

That meant Zverev avoided both men in the two majors, but when he met them in 2026, the results went the other way. Alcaraz defeated him in five sets at the Australian Open, and Sinner beat him in four sets at Wimbledon.

Macci says the German has to change the way he plays if he is to truly test the sport’s leading pair. Speaking to Florida Tennis, he said, “He is volleying a little better. His brother [Mischa] was a great doubles player and had great volleys. He needs to sprinkle that in a little bit, but I think the wildcard is the confidence to take more chances.

“I don’t think Alcaraz or Sinner, when they’ve played him, are going to beat themselves. He is going to have to take it. Indoors might be easier; he could serve at 80%. It’s more about confidence and going after his shots a bit more and making them uncomfortable.”

Zverev’s records against both men underline the challenge. He is 4-11 against Sinner, with the Italian winning their last 10 meetings. Against Alcaraz, he trails 7-6, although in Australia he served for the match before losing in five sets.

Macci also pointed to Zverev’s return position as a key issue. Known for standing deep behind the baseline, the 6ft 6in player can leave himself exposed to serve-and-volley patterns. The 71-year-old wants him closer to the line and more willing to attack short balls.

Macci, who has also coached Andy Roddick and Jennifer Capriati, added, “He needs to stand much closer to the baseline on the return of serve. He’s so far back, sometimes he’s standing in Germany. You cannot be that far back, especially with his backhand because he can take it on the rise and give you a surprise.

“I would alter the return of serve and practice putting that into his game more. And with anything short, he’s going to have to have the courage to move to the approach shot and come in. Because the more you fail, the more you’re going to succeed.”

Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open return brought him to the quarterfinals, but the mood around his exit has not been as straightforward as his own words suggested. In his first event back after an injury lay-off, the Spaniard chose to test the wrist injury he picked up in April in a best-of-five-set Grand Slam, a demanding setting for any comeback.

Alcaraz said he was surprised by how he played in New York and insisted he could walk off with a positive feeling after falling in a fifth-set tie-break to Ben Shelton in a close last-eight match. “I leave the court happy,” Alcaraz said. “I leave the court with a smile. I am proud of myself, how I fought.”

That explanation did not convince Patrick Mouratoglou. The former coach of Serena Williams and Holger Rune argued that Alcaraz was not being fully candid about his emotions after the defeat. “Carlos Alcaraz spent four and a half hours on court, lost 10-7 in the fifth-set tie-break, and walked off saying he was happy. I’m not buying it,” declared Mouratoglou in a LinkedIn post.

Mouratoglou said champions do not accept losing lightly and suggested that honesty after defeat can be difficult to judge. He pointed to Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Novak and Sabalenka while making his wider case, but also stressed that the bigger issue for elite players is the long-term process. In his view, too much focus on winning in the moment can distort decision-making, even if the player is already at the top level.

He then turned back to Alcaraz, arguing that the Spaniard may have arrived in New York without full belief that he could win the title. Mouratoglou said Alcaraz was not physically ready, adding that the struggle against Shelton was visible. He concluded that a player of Alcaraz’s standard should still be thinking in terms of victory, even when not fully fit.

Alcaraz now moves on to the Laver Cup in London next week as he tries to finish a difficult 2026 on a stronger note.

Alexander Zverev’s 2026 season has taken a striking turn, and the German may now be positioned to chase one of the sport’s most valuable prizes in the months ahead.

After winning the US Open in New York with a commanding victory over Ben Shelton, Zverev added a second major trophy to his cabinet. That triumph followed his French Open title in June, which ended a long wait for Grand Slam success and changed the shape of his season completely.

For much of his career, Zverev was viewed as a player who came close without quite finishing the job. In 2026, that picture has shifted. His results have strengthened the case that he belongs in the game’s new elite, and he now has a genuine opening to finish the year as world No 1.

Jannik Sinner currently leads the rankings, but the coming weeks are likely to be decisive. Under the ATP’s 52-week system, Sinner must defend 3,500 points from the final stretch of 2025, including titles in Beijing, Vienna, the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. One of those wins came against Zverev in the Vienna final last October.

Zverev, by contrast, has only 1,080 points to protect. That leaves him 1,810 points behind Sinner, but still with a realistic path to overtake him if the margin tightens.

Carlos Alcaraz is too far back to join the race after missing a significant portion of 2025 because of a wrist injury. That leaves Zverev with a clear opportunity to challenge for the top ranking for the first time in his career.

The year-end No 1 comes with a trophy to be handed over at the ATP Finals in Turin in November, a scenario that would add extra weight if Zverev were to claim it in front of Sinner’s home supporters.

Even so, Zverev was careful not to overstate his standing after the US Open. “You have to take everything into consideration,” said Zverev after his US Open win. “With Jannik Sinner being injured and Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury after four months, right now, probably yes. Both of them healthy and both of them at the top of their game, maybe not.

“But if we say right, right now, with Jannik being injured and Carlos coming back from injury, maybe. I mean, four, five months ago when both of them were healthy, I wasn’t.

“I was losing to Jannik all the time. So if everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead. It’s as simple as that.”