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Alexander Zverev spearheaded some strong performances from Top 10 stars in the PIF ATP Rankings on Tuesday at Wimbledon, although World No. 6 Andrey Rublev became the highest-ranked man to fall so far at the grass major.

The fourth-seeded Zverev breezed past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 on No. 1 Court to reach the second round for the seventh time in eight appearances at SW19. The German powered 46 winners, including 18 aces, in a statement opening win at an event where he is yet to reach the quarter-finals.

“Obviously, first rounds are never easy, but I’m happy with how I started the tournament,” said Zverev in his on-court interview. “I want to compete, I want to do well here at Wimbledon. It’s the most historic tennis tournament that we have.

“I’ve struggled over the years here on these beautiful courts, unfortunately, but I feel different this year. I feel somehow very much more into it, very much more alive on these courts, and hopefully I can show that in the next few matches.”

With his one-hour, 53-minute triumph against Carballes Baena, Zverev set a second-round meeting with Marcos Giron or home wild card Henry Searle in London. He is now 12-2 for the year in Grand Slam matches, having reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the championship match at Roland Garros.

German is the third-youngest Challenger champion since 2010
July 05, 2024
Alexander Zverev won the 2014 Braunschweig Challenger as World No. 665.
Thomas Ammerpohl
Alexander Zverev won the 2014 Braunschweig Challenger as World No. 665.
By Grant Thompson
A tall, thin teenager by the name of Alexander Zverev stepped onto home soil at the 2014 Braunschweig Challenger. Crushing hefty first serves and blistering the ball with his two-handed backhand, the German earned a career-igniting victory in front of a packed crowd.

The 17-year-old with wavy, blonde hair lifted his first ATP Challenger Tour title that July afternoon, 10 years ago Friday.



Then-ranked No. 665 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Zverev had just one ATP Challenger Tour main-draw win under his belt entering Braunschweig. Tennis fans were becoming more familiar with Zverev that year, when in January the teen won the Australian Open boys’ singles title.

A wild card competing 200 kilometres from his hometown Hamburg, Zverev went on a dream run on the red clay of Braunschweig. A decade later, Zverev’s first title at that level is still etched in a piece of Challenger history. Zverev is the third-youngest Challenger champion since 2010. Only Felix Auger-Aliassime has claimed a title at a younger age in that time period.

Youngest ATP Challenger Tour champions since 2010
Age Player Title
16 years, 10 months Felix Auger-Aliassime 2017 Lyon
17 years, 1 month Felix Auger-Aliassime 2017 Sevilla
17 years, 2 months Alexander Zverev 2014 Braunschweig
17 years, 3 months Carlos Alcaraz 2020 Trieste
Zverev defeated three Top 100 players en route to the Challenger 125 crown, including a final victory against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. It was a launching pad for the home hope who has since ascended as high as World No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The two-time major finalist made quick progress on the ATP Challenger Tour and enjoyed early success on the ATP Tour. Two weeks after winning in Braunschweig, Zverev earned his maiden tour-level match win in Hamburg. He did not stop there. The wild card reached the semi-finals, falling to David Ferrer.

Zverev cracked the Top 100 for the first time in May 2015 following a title run at the Heilbronn Challenger. The German played just one more event at that level.

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Now with 22 tour-level titles in his trophy cabinet, which includes two Nitto ATP Finals and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold medal, Zverev has earned more than $43 million in prize money in his standout career that featured one of its first shining moments 10 years ago.

This is what the ATP Challenger Tour prides itself in, serving as a building block for young players testing their game against the world’s best. And you never know when the player in front of your eyes is headed from outside the Top 500 to a single-digit ranking next to his name.

Did You Know?
The Braunschweig Challenger is celebrating its 30th anniversary next week. Past winners include Gaston Gaudio, current ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, Tomas Berdych, Jan-Lennard Struff and Zverev.