Alexander Zverev’s coach makes harsh comments about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner after winning the US Open.
Alexander Zverev’s coach and brother, Mischa, recently responded to people questioning Alexander’s success at the 2026 US Open. He said that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were “not strong enough” to avoid their injury problems, which affected their performance.
Mischa, who used to be world No. 25 and reached the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2017, talked about Alcaraz and Sinner’s injuries after Alexander won the 2026 US Open. Both Alcaraz and Sinner have won 12 Grand Slams combined but faced injuries during the season when Alexander won two big titles. Mischa defended Alexander’s achievements and praised his recovery from a serious injury.
Alexander has had his best season at the Slams, winning Roland Garros in 2026 after Sinner’s early exit and Alcaraz’s absence. This was Alexander’s first major title, and he also reached the Wimbledon final (where he lost to Sinner) before winning the US Open against Ben Shelton.
Some fans said Alexander’s Slam wins were only because Alcaraz and Sinner weren’t playing at their best. Mischa disagreed, telling Sport1 that Alcaraz and Sinner aren’t strong enough because injuries held them back. He explained that injuries happen either because a player isn’t strong enough or they didn’t rest enough.
Alcaraz did win the first Slam of 2026, the Australian Open, by beating Alexander in the semis, even though he was not fully fit. Mischa also praised Alexander’s comeback from a tough ankle injury in 2023, which happened after a match against Rafael Nadal in 2022.
“Some people thought he wouldn’t return to his old level, but he showed he could,” Mischa said. He also suggested that Alcaraz and Sinner could still come back strong with time and hard work. “We’re working on it, and we’ll see what happens,” he added.
Mischa also addressed other criticism Alexander received during the US Open, like complaints about him bouncing the ball too much before serves. “It’s like complaining about the color of your socks after winning a Grand Slam,” he joked. He said that when someone wins, there will always be people who don’t like certain things about them.
Another player, Tallon Griekspoor, was quite critical, calling Alexander’s ball-bouncing “extreme” and saying it was hard to watch. Griekspoor joked he might try it himself since it seemed to help Alexander. He also thought Ben Shelton’s loss was expected, saying Shelton played nervously in his first Slam final.
Overall, Mischa stood up for his brother, highlighting his hard work and determination through injuries and challenges during a great season.