4. Alexander Zverev (26)
Zverev finds himself here largely because of the level of competition he faces. These are matches against top players, decided by very little, where a single break can determine everything. It’s no wonder he places so high.
His relatively defensive style also plays a role. When you’re grinding from the baseline and focusing on consistency over aggression, sets tend to stay on serve. Twenty-six tiebreak sets is just what happens when you’re playing tight matches at the highest level.
5. Taylor Fritz (24)
Fritz had a pretty lackluster year overall, and this stat reveals part of why. While not defensive per se, he struggled to break down opponents consistently, having to settle for tiebreaks instead of closing sets more decisively.
Twenty-four tiebreak sets is a pretty high number considering how he tends to play. It suggests he was in matches but couldn’t quite impose himself enough to finish them cleanly. Good enough to compete, not quite dominant enough to separate.
6. Tallon Griekspoor (23)
Griekspoor on this list shouldn’t surprise anyone. He’s quite famous for playing marathon matches that go the distance. Even when he loses, he doesn’t really lose easily. Everything goes through a tiebreak.
It’s a very interesting quirk about Griekspoor. He’s a strong server who can hold with the best of them, but he also tends to struggle breaking down opponents. The result? A ton of tiebreaks and a spot firmly in the top ten of this list.
