Alexander Zverev has conceded that his dream of reaching World No. 1 is fading after a string of losses, admitting that his current form is “terrible.” The German, who entered Indian Wells as the top seed, suffered a shock first-round exit at the hands of Tallon Griekspoor, marking his fifth defeat of 2025. With Jannik Sinner sidelined for an extended period and Zverev fresh off an Australian Open final appearance earlier this year, the 27-year-old had seen a clear path to the top ranking—a goal he now believes is slipping out of reach.
“It was on my mind at the start of the year,” Zverev said of his No. 1 ambition. “But now, not so much, because I’m playing awful. I need to rediscover my form before I can even think about that. To become World No. 1, you have to win tournaments, and right now I’m not even getting past the first or second round. That’s what I need to sort out first.”
When asked what part of his game needs work, Zverev’s response was grimly vague: “A bit of everything.” He elaborated, “My serve has been really poor lately. The second serve is okay, but my first serve is dreadful. And from the baseline, I’m not playing well either. It’s not just one thing—it’s everything.”
Zverev had dominated Griekspoor in their previous five encounters, including four wins in 2024, but the Dutchman flipped the script in Indian Wells. The victory was Griekspoor’s first against a top-5 player in his last 18 attempts. Despite their historically close matches, Zverev refused to pin the loss on his opponent’s brilliance alone, instead pointing the finger at his own subpar performance.
“I could sit here and make excuses, but the truth is I’m just not playing good tennis right now—it’s that simple,” Zverev said. “I’m nowhere near the level I want to be at, and definitely not close to how I played at the Australian Open. I’m mostly disappointed with myself. That’s the main thing for me. Griekspoor is a tricky opponent—I’ve had tight matches with him even when I’ve won—but he played well, no doubt. Still, I have to look at myself, and my game is far from where I need it to be.”
