Alexander Zverev is at a loss over his ongoing struggles, admitting that he has “no idea what’s happening” after another early exit, this time at the hands of Matteo Berrettini in the Monte Carlo Masters.
After finishing as runner-up to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, many expected the German to build on his success. Instead, his form has been on a downward spiral.
With Sinner banned for three months due to a positive doping test in March 2024, Zverev had a golden opportunity to take the top spot in the ATP Rankings. However, he has failed to capitalize, enduring a disappointing series of defeats. He exited early at the Argentina Open and Rio Open, before falling in the second round at the Mexican Open.
Zverev’s Sunshine Double campaign didn’t fare any better. He was knocked out in the second round at Indian Wells and suffered a round-of-16 loss to Arthur Fils in Miami.
The switch from hard courts to clay was expected to give the three-time Grand Slam finalist a boost, but instead, he began his clay season with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 loss to Berrettini.
Zverev’s Struggles Continue
When asked about his recent defeat and his overall struggles, the 27-year-old said: “What was decisive is that I played well in the first set, but once I lost my serve in the second, I started playing much worse. My ball was slow, and I couldn’t generate any pace. I stopped hitting the ball, and this has been the same story for months now. Nothing changes, and once again, I lost the match.”
He added: “I have no idea what’s going on right now. I’ve been trying to figure it out for months, but I don’t even know what to say anymore. All I know is that I keep losing matches.”
Zverev has repeatedly pointed to his inability to close out matches as a key factor in his ongoing issues, and it was again evident in his loss to Berrettini. After falling behind an early break in the deciding set, he fought back to break Berrettini’s serve but was immediately broken again before the Italian served out the match.
“If I were to win two or three matches like that, fighting hard, there wouldn’t be as many questions,” Zverev explained. “But I’ve lost in three sets in Buenos Aires, Rio, Indian Wells, Miami, and here in Monte Carlo. I haven’t won a single match, and that’s what really matters.”
Zverev will now look to regain his form at the Bavarian International Tennis Championships, where he is the top seed at the ATP 500 event in Munich.
