Alexander Zverev has a world No. 1 ranking, two Grand Slam trophies and a season that has silenced one long-running question about his career: whether he could finally win the biggest matches. Yet his achievements have come with an awkward comparison. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have repeatedly been labeled the strongest players on tour, and Zverev has failed to beat either of them in 2026. Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ former coach, has acknowledged that gap in ability, but he refuses to let it overshadow the German’s accomplishments.

“Zverev might not be the best player, but he’s the number one in the world, and he fully deserves it,” Mouratoglou said, according to We Love Tennis. His message to those questioning Zverev’s standing was even blunter: “If others are injured, too bad for them.” The French coach believes the rankings should reflect what players actually achieve, not the results fans imagine might have happened if the season had unfolded differently.

The debate centers on a striking contrast. Zverev lost all five of his meetings with Sinner this season and also fell to Alcaraz in their Australian Open semifinal. He even served for the match against the Spaniard before losing. Against Sinner, the closest he came to a victory was the Wimbledon final, where he took one set but could not stop the Italian from winning the title.

Those results give the comparisons real substance. Sinner and Alcaraz have shown they can trouble Zverev directly, and Mouratoglou does not pretend otherwise. Asked whether he considers the two younger stars better players, he answered yes. His defense of Zverev rests on a different point: head-to-head records do not determine the year-end rankings, and superior shot-making alone does not guarantee the most successful season.

Zverev has made the most of his opportunities at the majors. He won his first Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros in June, then added the US Open trophy in September. At both tournaments, Sinner and Alcaraz were out of contention before the final stages. That has led critics to question whether Zverev would have won those titles against the sport’s leading duo at full strength. Mouratoglou’s answer is that nobody can award trophies for hypothetical outcomes. Zverev faced the draws in front of him and won twice.

According to Mouratoglou, physical availability is part of the comparison as well. A player can have exceptional technique, but missed tournaments and interrupted seasons can damage their chances of building ranking points. He argues that staying fit requires discipline well beyond match day: nutrition, recovery, daily physiotherapy, and careful management of the body all contribute to a player’s career.

He illustrated the point by bringing up Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard’s injuries have often prompted speculation about how many more Grand Slam titles he might have won without them. Mouratoglou sees little value in that exercise.

“We hear the same discussions about Rafa. Oh, if Rafa hadn’t been injured, he would have won X Grand Slam tournaments. Yes, but there are no “ifs”,” he said. He also mentioned Britain’s Jack Draper, whose recurring injury problems have made it difficult to maintain a place among the tour’s top players.

Mouratoglou was careful not to suggest that Sinner brought his injury on himself. He described the Italian as serious and disciplined, adding that it was unfortunate his season had been cut short. His argument is broader: injuries can happen even to players who prepare meticulously, but the rankings still reflect who competes and wins.

Zverev’s mental strength is another part of the coach’s defense. Before 2026, the German had lost three Grand Slam finals, including the 2020 US Open final after leading Dominic Thiem by two sets. He also fell to Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open and Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open. The repeated disappointments raised doubts about whether he could handle the pressure of a major final.

This season, he finally converted his chances. Mouratoglou believes that he deserves credit even if Zverev was not always at his best. The German’s two titles did not settle whether he is a better player than Sinner or Alcaraz, but they did prove he could win the sport’s biggest prizes.

That is the distinction Mouratoglou wants critics to recognize. Sinner and Alcaraz may remain his picks for the higher level of tennis, and Zverev still has to improve his record against them. But the German has secured the results that put him at the top of the rankings. In Mouratoglou’s view, those are not achievements that need an asterisk.

The post “Too Bad for Them” — Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Backs Alexander Zverev Amid Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Comparisons appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.