For Tennis aficionados, the ‘Channel Slam’ is a revered accomplishment. Winning the French Open in Paris, followed by the Wimbledon title in London in the same year is a bit like finishing first in a marathon, catching a quick breath, and then winning a race to the top of a mountain.
These two nations, separated by the English Channel (hence Channel slam!), serve up the most contrasting conditions in the sport. The transition from slow, grinding clay at Roland Garros to slick, low bouncing grass at the All-England club, all within the span of three weeks, tests an athlete’s physical conditioning, shot-making and footwork to the extreme.
Not surprisingly, only a handful of men in the open era — Rod Laver (1969), Bjorn Borg (1978,79 & 80), Rafael Nadal (2008), Roger Federer (2009), Novak Djokovic (2021) and Carlos Alcaraz (2024) have claimed membership of this exclusive club.
29-year-old Alexander Zverev can secure his spot among this elite company later today. Last month in Paris, the German finally won his first major title. Now, he has the chance to double up at a tournament he had failed to go past the fourth round in nine previous attempts.
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Zverev has dropped only two sets in six matches and has risen to No. 2 in the ATP rankings. His form is red-hot, his confidence is soaring and his on-court weapons are firing spectacularly. There is only one small (rather, tall!) problem though — standing across him will be a modern day colossus — Jannik Sinner.
