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Arthur Rinderknech Exposes Alexander Zverev’s Offensive Credentials After Beating him in a Five-Set Thriller at Wimbledon

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 3:10 PM ET

Arthur Rinderknech secured one of the biggest upsets at this year’s Wimbledon after taking down Alexander Zverev in the first round. The win was part of one of the most shocking days in Wimbledon history, with so many top seeds faltering.

The thing most surprising wasn’t Rinderknech’s win, but his belief. The Frenchman gave some harsh remarks on Zverev’s game, claiming that he knew that the German’s game would allow him to be offensive. Rinderknech said on L’Equipe:

I know I was capable of it. I know Zverev is very, very solid, but that behind the scenes, in the game, he’s not the guy who’s going to come and run into me. His ball goes very fast, it’s very deep, but he’s not a guy who’s going to go into the court. I knew I was going to have the chance to be offensive. And if I was good at it, I might come out on top.

Zverev has had constant criticism with regards to his game. The two-time ATP Finals champion has been criticized for not having the attacking credentials like the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

At Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic also discussed this after his Roland Garros semifinal defeat to Sinner. The Serb claimed that he had more time from the baseline against Zverev, but he had little time to react against the Italian.

Alexander Zverev stunned at Wimbledon

French star Arthur Rinderknech scored his first Top 5 victory on Tuesday at Wimbledon, defeating third seed Alexander Zverev in a five-set battle. The match began on Monday evening but was halted at one set apiece due to Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. curfew. When play resumed under natural light on Tuesday, Rinderknech quickly took control, winning the third set and eventually securing a 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 win after four hours and 44 minutes.

The Frenchman hit 79 winners, including a backhand on match point that sealed his victory on Centre Court. Ranked World No. 72, he dropped to the ground in celebration before rising to soak in the crowd’s applause. Rinderknech had previously shown good form on grass, having upset World No. 10 Ben Shelton at Queen’s Club earlier in the month.

Despite Zverev’s strong grass-court season—making the final in Stuttgart and the semi-finals in Halle—he struggled to control the rallies. Rinderknech consistently kept him off balance with aggressive play, particularly at the net. The Frenchman won 80 percent of his net points and stayed mentally composed during long exchanges.

Rinderknech now looks to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the first time. He will face Cristian Garin next. Zverev, still chasing his first Grand Slam title, becomes the fourth Top 10 player to exit early this year, alongside Musetti, Rune, and Medvedev.

Alexander Zverev among handful of Wimbledon upsets

Wimbledon 2025 has started with a string of upsets, especially for seeded players. The first round saw a record number of top 10 players eliminated, making it one of the most dramatic starts in the tournament’s history. Many high-ranked stars failed to advance, causing major surprises across both the men’s and women’s draws.

A total of 23 seeded players lost in the opening round. The biggest shock came when second seed and recent French Open champion Coco Gauff was defeated. She was beaten by Dayana Yastremska in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-1. Gauff wasn’t alone in her early exit, as several other big names were also knocked out.

In total, eight top-10 seeds—four from each tour—have been eliminated. On the women’s side, Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Zheng Qinwen, and Paula Badosa all lost. The men’s draw saw Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, and Daniil Medvedev crash out. This sets a new Open Era record for most top-10 first-round losses at a Grand Slam.

The men’s draw alone had 13 seeds eliminated, matching the previous record from the 2004 Australian Open. Wimbledon 2025 could still break that record outright, as 29th seed Brandon Nakashima has yet to finish his first-round match against Bu Yunchaokete.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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