Alexander Zverev Struggles to Find Form After Australian Open Final
February proved to be a disappointing month for Alexander Zverev, as he failed to achieve standout results in any of the tournaments he entered. After reaching the final at the 2025 Australian Open—where he was decisively defeated by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner—the German failed to bounce back, exposing his recurring weaknesses on court.
Sinner’s suspension presented a golden opportunity for Zverev to close the gap in the ATP rankings or even claim the top spot with a strong run. However, his early exits in recent tournaments have made that goal increasingly unlikely.
Zverev’s struggles were evident during the South American clay-court swing, where he competed in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro but failed to find his rhythm. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals of both events, losing to Francisco Cerundolo in Argentina—a player who had already beaten him in Madrid last year—and suffering a shocking defeat to Francisco Comesaña in Brazil.
Hoping for redemption at the ATP 500 in Acapulco, Zverev instead endured another setback, falling to 19-year-old American Learner Tien, who had previously stunned Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open.
Zverev Faces Critical Weeks Ahead
Now ranked world No. 2, Zverev must quickly reset and prepare for the upcoming Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, where any further dips in form could prove costly. His Australian Open final loss appears to have left a lasting mark, as he had been fully convinced that his long-awaited first Grand Slam title was within reach.
Tennis analyst Gill Gross weighed in on Zverev’s recent struggles, sharing his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter):
“I’m not surprised Zverev struggled on this Golden Swing. And I don’t know if it’s 1) Australian Open Hangover 2) Low Motivation February 3) Pressure From No. 1 Ranking Opportunity. But the fact that I could come up with three possible theories is exactly the point.”
As Zverev looks ahead to the U.S. hard-court swing, the pressure is on to turn his season around and prove that his Australian Open run was no fluke.
