“I was mentally affected after Australian Open final”: Alexander Zverev admits to confidence drop before Monte-Carlo debut
Alexander Zverev has admitted to a dip in his form as he prepares to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters. Despite a strong start to the season, including a runner-up finish at the Australian Open, Zverev has faced challenges in the months since. He was defeated by Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the final at Melbourne Park, and then headed to the Golden Swing in South America, where he was expected to dominate as the only top-15 player.
However, early exits in both the Argentina Open and Rio Open, where he lost to Francisco Cerúndolo and Francisco Comesaña in the quarterfinals, followed. He then struggled in the Mexican Open, falling to teenager Lerner Tien in the round of 16.
Zverev’s Sunshine Double didn’t go as planned either. He posted two wins and two losses, including a surprising first-round defeat at the Miami Open to Tallon Griekspoor and a round-of-16 loss to No. 17 seed Arthur Fils at Indian Wells.
Arriving in Monte-Carlo, the world No. 2 spoke about the oddity of recent events on the ATP Tour. “The last few months have been very strange! Jannik can’t play, I’m playing terribly, and Carlos [Alcaraz] hasn’t played well either. Let’s see what happens, but I think things are getting back to normal,” he said.
Although Zverev had a narrow opportunity to claim the world No. 1 ranking due to Sinner’s current three-month absence, inconsistent results prevented him from closing the gap. Sinner is expected to return in a month at the Italian Open, holding a solid lead in the rankings.
“Roland-Garros is the main goal. It’s no secret I’ve struggled in recent weeks. I haven’t been playing my best tennis, although I felt better in Miami. I had some minor physical issues there. These last few weeks have been tough, but things can change, and hopefully, this week they will,” Zverev added.
“Winning matches is the only way to regain confidence and the right mindset. It can turn around quickly,” the three-time Grand Slam finalist said. “The truth is, I didn’t rest after the Australian Open. I was mentally affected after the Melbourne final. I was angry, exhausted, and went straight to the South American tour without time to reflect. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest decision.”
Zverev is the top seed at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which begins on Monday. He is set to face the winner of the match between Matteo Berrettini and a qualifier.
