Alexander Zverev Gets Annoyed over ‘Stupid Questions’ After Italian Open Opening-Round Victory

Alexander Zverev is chasing his second title of the season at the Italian Open after his victory in Munich last month.

Alexander Zverev Gets Annoyed over ‘Stupid Questions’ After Italian Open Opening-Round Victory

Alexander Zverev (Image via X/Quindici Zero)

Alexander Zverev is bidding to win his second title of the season in the ongoing Italian Open. He kick-started his campaign by breezing past Camilo Ugo Carabelli following which, he scheduled a third-round clash with Vilius Gaubas.

After his opening-round victory, a question during his on-court interview annoyed him. He was asked how he felt about winning the first match in Rome after registering a couple of opening-round defeats in Masters 1000 events.

I mean, I did, but I won a tournament two weeks ago. I don’t really like to think about it. It’s your job, thinking about stupid questions, and the match is an hour long, so I’ll leave it up to you.

Alexander Zverev said

Those two defeats came at Indian Wells and the Monte Carlo Masters where he lost to Tallon Griekspoor and Matteo Berrettini, respectively. After his Monte Carlo exit, he ended his trophy drought by beating Ben Shelton in the final of the BMW Open.

Zverev has had an inconsistent start to the season as after his defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final, he failed to win more than two matches in the next six tournaments he played. He entered the Italian Open as a defending champion. Last year, he defeated Nicolas Jarry to take home his second trophy at Foro Italico. His first title came in 2017.

Rennae Stubbs backs Alexander Zverev after criticism he faced due to his ‘rude’ answer

Alexander Zverev incurred the wrath of some sections of the netizens after his on-court interview. Some fans thought Sascha’s answer was rude, while some said the interviewer asked the right question because it was about a Masters 1000 tournament. Rennae Stubbs, however, was unconvinced.

Alexander Zverev (3)
Alexander Zverev (Image via X/ATP Tour)

The answer was rude but the question was ridiculous. Sorry. He could have said it’s been a tough few weeks after Munich so how much more comfortable are you here in Rome? Was the tennis we saw today how u felt in Munich? There are ways to highlight it without ripping a player.

Rennae Stubbs wrote on X

Check out her post here:

Before the start of the Italian Open, the three-time Grand Slam finalist slammed the media, accusing them of putting “players down“. He cited Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz‘s examples as both of these players struggled to produce consistent performances after the Australian Open.

Alexander Zverev could face Jannik Sinner in the Italian Open final

If Zverev reaches the final, he could set up a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final against Jannik Sinner. Sinner has made his comeback from his three-month doping ban and went past Mariano Navone to kick-start his Italian Open campaign in an emphatic fashion.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast)

The three-time Grand Slam champion will next lock horns with Jesper De Jong against whom, he is 1-0 in the head-to-head encounter. Sinner could run into reigning Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals and Alex de Minuar in the semifinals.

Against Zverev, the 23-year-old holds a 3-4 head-to-head record and had won their last two encounters in the semifinals of the 2024 Cincinnati Open and the final of the Australian Open. But before reaching the final, Zverev could meet Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.

The four-time Grand Slam champion went past Dusan Lajovic to set up a clash with another Serbian, Laslo Djere. Both Alcaraz and Sinner are chasing their first title at Foro Italico. Last year, both the players skipped the Italian Open due to injuries. While Alcaraz is chasing his third title of the season (following the Rotterdam Open and the Monte Carlo Open), Sinner played only the Australian Open.

Also read: “It’s a Rough Road,” Marta Kostyuk Consoles Alexandra Eala After Beating the 19-Year-Old in Rome’s Opening Match