“I’m not feeling great” – Alexander Zverev raises health concerns ahead of Carlos Alcaraz clash at Cincinnati Open after Ben Shelton win
Alexander Zverev, the world No. 3, sparked concern after revealing health issues following his 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ben Shelton in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals on August 16, 2025. The German tennis star, who advanced to the semifinals to face Carlos Alcaraz, experienced breathing difficulties during the match, requiring a medical timeout in the second set. Zverev, visibly struggling, used an inhaler and later admitted to feeling dizzy, stating, “Right now I’m not feeling too great… I came out today and probably felt the best I did in a few months. In the first set I started feeling not so great and it got progressively worse” (edgeAIapp, August 16, 2025).
The incident occurred when Zverev led 2-0 in the second set. He described his head “spinning” and struggled to breathe, prompting medical intervention (profootballnetwork.com, August 16, 2025). Commentator Jim Courier expressed surprise, noting Zverev’s reputation as one of the tour’s fittest players (markwarling3, August 16, 2025). Despite the scare, Zverev dominated Shelton, ending the American’s nine-match win streak in just 77 minutes with an 81% first-serve point win rate and saving his only break point (777score.com, August 15, 2025). Post-match, Zverev expressed hope to recover for the semifinal, saying, “I’m in the semi-finals and I will do everything I can to be 100 per cent tomorrow” (devdiscourse.com, August 16, 2025).[
Zverev’s health struggles are not new; he has managed respiratory issues for months, with similar incidents noted during the season (profootballnetwork.com, August 16, 2025). The Cincinnati heat, a recurring challenge for players, may have exacerbated his condition, as seen with multiple retirements, including Karen Khachanov’s against Zverev in the round of 16 (essentiallysports.com, August 14, 2025). Despite these concerns, Zverev holds a 6-5 head-to-head edge over Alcaraz, including a win at the 2024 ATP Finals, making their semifinal a highly anticipated clash (tribuneindia.com, August 16, 2025).[]
Zverev’s situation parallels other athletes’ strategic choices under physical strain, like Emma Raducanu and Paula Badosa withdrawing from the US Open due to injuries, or Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin balancing Davis Cup commitments. Posts on X reflected concern, with one stating, “Zverev asked for MTO, said was sweating abnormally, air couldn’t get in his lungs. Was able to finish but he didn’t look really well” (yyxtine2, August 16, 2025). As Zverev prepares to face Alcaraz, his health remains a critical factor in his pursuit of a third consecutive Cincinnati semifinal appearance.
