In elite sports, a multitude of factors determine the outcome. Allergies, injuries, environments, and other factors can often play a far more important role than fans or players would like to admit. A similar story has followed World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, whose health problems are well documented in the tennis community. Besides enduring notable injuries throughout his career, including torn ligaments in his ankle and a recent back issue, the German also suffers from Type 1 diabetes, which requires consistent management of blood glucose levels. But ahead of his grass-court campaign at Wimbledon, Zverev’s repeated sneezing unearthed another longstanding ailment that may affect his fate at the All England Tennis Club. Unlike what many suspected, the newly-crowned French Open champion wasn’t nursing a mere cold.

“I’m doing great,” Zverev told BILD. “For me, the lawn allergy is nothing new. I have it every year.”

The allergy can very well be one of the reasons behind Zverev’s questionable record on grass. The German hasn’t won a single title on the surface so far in his career. Despite boasting a decent win rate of 66.7% on grass, he seems to struggle at the big tournaments. Across his career, Zverev has lost all three finals on the surface, including the Stuttgart Open against Taylor Fritz last year. The American also delivered his latest setback on the surface, beating Zverev in the semifinals at the Terra Wortmann Open in front of his home crowd. And it only gets worse in Wimbledon.

Zverev currently has a win-loss record of 16-9 across the nine editions he has played at the Grand Slam. His best result at the SW19 has been a fourth-round finish, a feat he achieved in 2017, 2021, and 2024. One of his lowest points in the tournament came last year, when he suffered a shocking first-round defeat to Arthur Rinderknech. With history not on Zverev’s side, his body also seems to be at odds with his ambition, as allergies are hardly helpful when competing against the best.

“At the elite level, allergies are not just a nuisance,” explains Dr Robby Sikka, medical director for the Professional Tennis Players Association, per The Athletic. “They can be the difference between feeling normal and feeling like every rally takes more out of you than it should.” However, the German isn’t dwelling on the past and remains focused on excelling this time around. His confidence isn’t unfounded, having earned a monumental triumph at the French Open earlier this month.

“I have to be honest with myself: It feels different, with the title behind me. It’s more joy and somewhere more freedom. But when I’m on the court, I want to do my job and show my best tennis,” he reflected on his first Grand Slam win.

Zverev doesn’t appear to be under any big pressure heading into the SW19, as he has no points to defend after last year’s first-round exit. With two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz not participating due to a wrist injury, he could emerge as one of the leading contenders for the Wimbledon title despite his previous woes in the tournament.

The German will begin his campaign with the clash against Alexander Blockx on Tuesday. Having faced each other in Madrid and Rome, Wimbledon will host their third meeting this season. Zverev had dominated the matchup on the previous two occasions, beating Blockx 6-2, 7-5 in Madrid before securing another comfortable 6-1, 6-4 victory in Rome.

Though Zverev is arguably in the form of his life, not many seem convinced of his chances of succeeding at the All England Tennis Club. Former ATP pro and John McEnroe’s brother, Patrick McEnroe, reckons the grass court will host bigger contenders than the German.

Patrick McEnroe plays down Alexander Zverev’s chances for Wimbledon

“Zverev, I would not put as a favorite,” he said in an interview with SportsBoom.com. “I would put [Taylor] Fritz ahead of him. Fritz just beat him in a close match. I would probably put [Ben] Shelton slightly ahead of him. Other than that, as favorites go, it’s hard to find.”

Besides overlooking the latest Grand Slam champion, McEnroe labeled defending champion Jannik Sinner the clear favorite to repeat the feat. Despite an early second-round exit at the French Open, it is hard to argue against Sinner’s chances of winning Wimbledon. However, the World No.1 enters the tournament with a few physical concerns of his own, having skipped all grass-court warmups for the first time in his career.

“I would probably put Djokovic at the moment as a second favorite because I thought he, you know, played pretty well in Paris even though he lost early,” he added.

For Zverev, having a losing record against both the Italian and the Serbian doesn’t bode well. As he takes to the grass courts once again, the odds are stacked against him. Whether the German’s newfound drive to win is enough to overcome his physical ailments and an unflattering record on the surface remains to be seen.