John McEnroe and Patrick McEnroe have both given their predictions ahead of Novak Djokovic’s French Open quarter-final vs Alexander Zverev.
This match pits two of the world’s top players against one another, and will be the 14th meeting between them.
Their goals for this event will obviously be the same, but their reasoning for wanting the title could not be more different.
Whilst Novak Djokovic searches for his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, Alexander Zverev still craves his first.
It is this gulf which might prove pivotal for these pundits.
John McEnroe predicts Novak Djokovic’s French Open match vs Alexander Zverev
Speaking to the panel on TNT Sports from inside Philippe Chatrier, the McEnroe brothers both sought to give their verdict on one of the mouth-watering quarter-final clashes that the French Open has to offer.
John was pretty resolute in his assessment, stating: ‘Look down on that little bit of paper in front of you and see how many Grand Slams Djokovic has won. How many finals he’s won. I’m not saying he’s the overwhelming favourite at all. I’m saying he’s a favourite. He’s not a big favourite.
‘If Zverev can rise to the occasion and can serve big and be a little bit more proactive than I’ve seen him in the past instead of reactive, which he’s done too often here, then I think he’s got a real shot at it.
‘Listen, he’s the fresher guy. He should be the hungrier guy.’
Patrick, his younger brother, concurred: ‘I think the X-factor is Djokovic and what he brings to the table in these types of matches. But if I break it down from shot to shot, I don’t think he’s a huge favourite at all.
‘I say a slight favourite based on the fact that he’s Novak Djokovic, and also the fact that he’s looked good this past week and what I’ve seen from him. Zverev’s got to step up, he’s got to serve well, and if he can make this physical and take it to Djokovic a little bit more than he’s been able to do in the past, he’s definitely got a good shot.’
Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev trophy count
| Alexander Zverev | Novak Djokovic | |
| Grand Slams | 0 | 24 |
| ATP Finals | 2 | 7 |
| ATP Masters 1000 | 7 | 40 |
| ATP 500 | 5 | 15 |
| ATP 250 | 8 | 13 |
| Olympic Gold Medal | 1 | 1 |
Even if he does beat Zverev, Djokovic will probably have to play Sinner in the Roland Garros semi-final. Things get no easier for the former world number one.
Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record vs Alexander Zverev
It should come as no surprise that Zverev, like almost everyone else on the tour, has a losing record when facing the great Djokovic.
After all, whilst he may have struggled across the last 18 months, before that he was imperious, still the dominant force on the ATP tour.
During that period, he racked up a fair few wins against the German, including four on the spin from 2019 to 2021.
Throughout their careers, they have met 13 times, with the Serbian taking eight wins. However, it’s Zverev with the most recent triumph, albeit from a retirement as he won the first set of the Australian Open semi-final.
That is one of many big wins that the towering German has claimed over the years though, including successes in the final of the ATP Finals, the semi-finals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the final of the Italian Open.
He will be hoping to claim another later this week, but will be well aware of just how difficult the task is.
