Alcaraz v Zverev: Head-to-head, stats, quotes: Everything you need to know about their rivalry – updated after 2024 ATP Finals meeting
The Spaniard and German have already played each other ten times on the ATP Tour
Zuma / Panoramic
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev have been busy building an intriguing rivalry over the past few years. The latest instalment of their head-to-head came in the 2024 ATP Finals group stage encounter.
What is the head-to-head between Alcaraz and Zverev?
Alcaraz and Zverev have met 11 times on the ATP Tour, with all their meetings coming in the past three years, which is not surprising seeing as Alcaraz is still only 21 years old. The head-to-head hangs in Zverev’s favor at 6-5.
Zverev won the first two matches between the two, pretty handily, before Alcaraz won their first final, winning the Madrid Masters in the process. Zverev then won a classic at Roland-Garros 2022 before the Spaniard won the next two, including a straight-sets victory in the quarters at the US Open last time out.
However, Zverev then got his revenge at the 2023 ATP Finals, beating Alcaraz in three sets in their opening group match and went on to beat Alcaraz in stunning fashion at the Australian Open in 2024.
The Spaniard reasserted himself in the quarter-finals of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open, though, defeating Zverev handily in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, before also beating the German in the final of Roland-Garros 2024.
The German restored his lead in the head-to-head by downing Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 6-4 in a group-stage encounter at the 2024 ATP Finals.
Here is the full list of matches Alcaraz and Zverev have played:
2024 ATP Finals (RR) – Indoor hard – Won by Zverev 7-6 (5), 6-4
2024 Roland-Garros (F) – Outdoor clay – Won by Alcaraz 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
2024 Indian Wells (QF) – Outdoor hard – Won by Alcaraz 6-3, 6-1
2024 Australian Open (QF) – Outdoor hard – Won by Zverev 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-4
2023 ATP Finals (RR) – Indoor hard – Won by Zverev (3) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
2023 US Open (QF) – Outdoor hard – Won by Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 6-4
2023 Madrid Masters (R16) – Outdoor clay – Won by Alcaraz 6-1, 6-2
2022 Roland Garros (QF) – Outdoor clay – Won by Zverev 6-4 6-4 ,4-6, 7-6 (7)
2022 Madrid Masters (F) – Outdoor clay – Won by Alcaraz 6-3, 6-1
2021 Vienna (SF) – Indoor hard – Won by Zverev 6-3, 6-3
2021 Acapulco (R32) – Outdoor Hard – Won by Zverev 6-3, 6-1
What is their best battle to date?
Both their encounters at Roland-Garros, in 2022 and 2024, stand head and shoulders above the rest.
A lot was expected of Alcaraz as he was bursting through toward the top of the game in 2022 but he found Zverev in his best form, the German edging it in four sets to reach the semi-finals.
Alcaraz gained his revenge in 2024 though, beating Zverev in five sets in the final to win his third Grand Slam title.
How many titles have Alcaraz and Zverev won?
Alcaraz has won 16 titles in his young career, including two of the biggest ones, the US Open in 2022, when he also became the youngest man to hold the No 1 ranking, and then added a second slam title when he famously beat Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2023. His third Slam followed at the same venue the year after, defeating the same opponent in straight sets in the final. His first title came in Umag in 2021.
Zverev, who is six years older than Alcaraz, has won 23 titles, but has yet to win a Grand Slam title. He came close at the US Open in 2020, when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets to love only to go down in five. His first title came in St Petersburg in 2016 and his most recent win was at the Paris Masters in November 2024.
What have they said about each other?
Alcaraz said after his Roland-Garros semi-final win over Jannik Sinner that Zverev’s level of tennis of tennis on clay was very high.
“Sascha, as well, he’s playing great tennis on clay. Big serve, big shots, really solid one.” he said.
Zverev was confident in his assessment of Alcaraz after they played each other in Madrid, when the Spaniard took advantage of a fatigued Zverev, who had finished his semi-final late the previous night.
“Right now you are the best player in the world even though you are still five years old – you are still beating us all,” he said. “It’s great to see for tennis that we have such a new superstar who is going to win so many Grand Slams and is going to be world No 1. I think you are going to win this tournament many more times.”
