Alexander Zverev vs Arthur Rinderknech

ATP Wimbledon – 1st Round
Alexander Zverev vs Arthur Rinderknech

🧠 Form & Context

• Alexander Zverev
  🏆 Slam-ready—but grass still lags behind: A three-time Slam finalist and world #3, Zverev is still chasing his first Wimbledon quarterfinal.
  💔 Painful memories: Blew a two-set lead vs Fritz in 2024—part of a recurring pattern of grass-court falters.
  🔥 Form check: Owns a 35–13 record in 2025, with a final in Stuttgart and a semifinal in Halle—his strongest-ever grass swing.
  💪 Slam reliability: Hasn’t lost in the 1R of a Slam since Wimbledon 2019. Against players ranked outside the top 50 in majors, he’s 72–11.


• Arthur Rinderknech
  📈 Finally clicking: Turned around a slow 2025 with a 5–2 grass run in June, including a Queen’s Club quarterfinal.
  💡 Big wins: Defeated Shelton, Opelka, and Dzumhur on grass this month with assertive serve-forehand play.
  🎾 Wimbledon woes: Just 1–4 lifetime at SW19, but has taken at least one set in every loss—including two five-setters.
  🆚 Heavy underdog: Faces a top-3 opponent for the first time at a Slam, but his game is tailored for fast grass conditions.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Zverev’s weapons—particularly his serve and backhand—are good enough to overpower most opposition on any surface. This year, he’s added urgency to his grass game, flattening out shots earlier in rallies and serving with more precision.

That said, he’s prone to mid-match lulls, especially if he’s pushed out of rhythm. Rinderknech has the tools to do that: a big serve, solid court positioning, and a forehand that can rob Zverev of time. His game isn’t multidimensional, but he doesn’t need it to be on grass—just clean, proactive aggression.

The biggest challenge for Rinderknech is endurance. Zverev has a long-track record of outlasting lower-ranked players in five-setters. The German’s rally tolerance and ability to reset under pressure often break down opponents eventually.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Zverev in 4 sets – expect the Frenchman to push hard early and maybe steal a set via tiebreak, but Zverev’s baseline strength and grass form should take over late.