Benoît Maylin: Zverev Must Win Turin Masters to Silence Critics
Alexander Zverev must win the Turin Masters to confirm his status and silence persistent critics who view his current ranking with skepticism, TennisTemple reported.
The world No. 1 enters the 2026 ATP Finals carrying heavy expectations. On an edition of the show Sans Filet, tennis expert Benoît Maylin shared his analysis of the pressures surrounding the German player. Maylin argued that securing the title in Turin is essential for validating his position at the top of men’s tennis.
Maylin expects a victory against the strongest competition the sport has to offer. The analyst rejected any reliance on past Grand Slam success or ranking points as sufficient proof of dominance.
“He has to win this tournament, and he can say whatever he wants in the press conference: ‘I’ve won two Grand Slams, I’m world No. 1, blah blah blah.’ No, he has to win this tournament, and he knows it. He has to show it, he has to beat the Top 10. He has to beat Alcaraz, he has to beat everyone,” said Benoît Maylin, tennis expert, on Sans Filet, as reported by TennisTemple.”
The analyst said that Zverev can afford to lose a single round-robin match if necessary. However, the overarching requirement remains proving capability against elite rivals.
Without a victory at the season-ending championships, questions regarding legitimacy will persist. Maylin pointed out that other players, such as Casper Ruud, reached high rankings without capturing the top spot.
“Sure, he can afford to lose one match if he wants, that’s fine, but he has to prove to us that he’s the real No. 1, because otherwise he’ll always have this thing hanging over him: ‘Yeah, a fake No. 1,’” Maylin told TennisTemple.”
Dismissing potential asterisks regarding player withdrawals, Maylin stressed that availability and performance define a true champion.
“If you wins this Masters, he shuts everyone up. Meaning: ‘OK, you beat everyone.’ Then people will say: ‘Ah yes, but he didn’t play Alcaraz because Alcaraz was injured and withdrew.’ Who cares. At some point, guys, if you’re not out there, that’s it. If you’re injured, if you’re tired, it’s over,” Maylin told TennisTemple.”
Zverev begins his tournament campaign in Turin by facing Rafael Jódar on Sunday from 2 p.m., as TennisTemple reported.