{"id":2090225,"date":"2026-08-12T20:00:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2090225"},"modified":"2026-08-12T20:00:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:00:42","slug":"no-more-excuses-zverev-snubbed-as-the-third-guy-behind-alcaraz-and-sinner-as-rising-trio-named","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2090225","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;No more excuses&#8217; &#8211; Zverev snubbed as the &#8216;third guy&#8217; behind Alcaraz and Sinner as rising trio named"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">\u2018No more excuses\u2019 \u2013 Zverev snubbed as the \u2018third guy\u2019 behind Alcaraz and Sinner as rising trio named<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/richie-mills\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Richie Mills                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"12 Aug 2026 9:00 PM\" data-ps-date=\"12 Aug 2026 9:00 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1786564842\"><br \/>\n                            12 Aug 2026 9:00 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on 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<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"\u2018No more excuses\u2019 \u2013 Zverev snubbed as the \u2018third guy\u2019 behind Alcaraz and Sinner as rising trio named\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Alexander-Zverev-Jannik-Sinner-Carlos-Alcaraz-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                ATP stars Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Three rising stars of tennis have been named as the potential players to become the \u201cthird guy\u201d behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> and Jannik Sinner, in an apparent snub to Alexander Zverev.<\/p>\n<p>With seven-time major winner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Alcaraz<\/a> still out with a wrist injury and world No 1 Sinner withdrawing from Cincinnati due to a knee problem, the ATP Tour is wide open for the second tournament running.<\/p>\n<p>At the Canadian Open, five-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic were all missing, while world No 3 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/alexander-zverev\">Zverev<\/a> suffered an early exit.<\/p>\n<p>For the quarter-final line-up in Montreal, 25-year-old Brandon Nakashima beat 24-year-old Luciano Darderi, and 23-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/ben-shelton\">Ben Shelton<\/a> eased past 20-year-old Jakub Mensik.<\/p>\n<p>Arthur Fils, 22, fell to 19-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/rafael-jodar\">Rafael Jodar<\/a>, while Learner Tien knocked out Daniel Merida, 21, highlighting just how youthful the remaining players were.<\/p>\n<h2>More ATP Tour News<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/alexander-zverev-calls-change-masters-1000-schedule-criticism\">Alexander Zverev calls for \u2018easy fix\u2019 to a big tennis problem<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/ben-shelton-andy-roddick-agree-rafael-jodar-canadian-open\">Rafael Jodar: Ben Shelton and Andy Roddick agree on exciting prediction for ATP phenom<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Sinner<\/a> and Alcaraz are the tour\u2019s dominant players, although Zverev, 29, did win this year\u2019s French Open when the Italian fell early and the Spaniard was sidelined, if an outsider could win one of these Masters 1000 tournaments, that could give them extra confidence to face the game\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n<p>That is according to Serena Williams\u2019 coach, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/rennae-stubbs\">Rennae Stubbs<\/a>, who feels that Jodar and Shelton \u2013 who are sixth and seventh respectively in the ATP Tour Race \u2013 could step up, as could Fils and Tien, despite them being outside the top 10 for their results this year.<\/p>\n<p>She said on the latest episode of <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-elephants-in-the-room\/id1393881115?i=1000782032729\" target=\"_blank\">The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast<\/a>, \u201cThis is an opportunity for somebody to start winning these tournaments and say, \u2018Ok, am I the third guy?\u2019 Winning in Canada and then going to Cincinnati and winning those tournaments because neither of them [Alcaraz and Sinner] are going to be there again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are no more excuses, guys. The two best players in the world are not playing so who is going to step up to the plate?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Former doubles world No 1 Stubbs added that Jodar is a player who is going to start \u201cknocking on the door to win these big tournaments\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>And if he or defending Canadian Open champion Shelton, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/arthur-fils\">Fils<\/a>, can win another big title, that may give them the belief they can compete with Sinner and Alcaraz \u201cwhen they are healthy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The four-time women\u2019s doubles major winner added,\u00a0\u201cThis is exciting. What we need in men\u2019s tennis is for one of these young guys to step up to the plate now. By winning a Masters 1000 title at this stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImagine if a Learner Tien or a Rafael Jodar steps up and wins this Masters 1000; it has to give them so much confidence to go into a US Open and say, \u2018Why not?\u2019 There is a possibility Alcaraz and Sinner are going to be there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it really helps when you are winning a lot of matches and you are beating all these great players and the only ones you are not beating are those two who are not there but it will certainly help you going into matches like this against those great players and think, \u2018Maybe it\u2019s my time as well\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>WHAT NEXT? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/taylor-fritz-carlos-alcaraz-jannik-sinner-cincinnati-open-withdrawals\">Taylor Fritz says how he really feels about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner\u2019s latest withdrawals<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018No more excuses\u2019 \u2013 Zverev snubbed as the \u2018third guy\u2019 behind Alcaraz and Sinner as rising trio named Richie Mills 12 Aug 2026 9:00 PM ATP stars Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz Three rising stars of tennis have been named as the potential players to become the \u201cthird guy\u201d behind Carlos Alcaraz and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2090225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2090225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090225\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2090225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2090225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2090225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}