Pakistan, July 9 -- As great as Alexander Zverev has been over the past several years, he just couldn't find a way to defeat Taylor Fritz. The American is good, of course, but nowhere near as accomplished as the German. Yet, every match since Wimbledon 2024, a stretch of seven, had gone toward Fritz.

Zverev is playing with renewed confidence, though. He finally won his first Grand Slam event at the French Open this year, so he is no longer the best player ever to have never won a major. That can be freeing.

Before Wimbledon 2026, Zverev's best run at the grass-court major was reaching the fourth round. He had exceeded that by the time he played Fritz this year, as the two met in the quarterfinals. The German immediately let the American...