“Ten times worse,” Alexander Zverev harshly criticizes himself after crashing out of Monte-Carlo Masters
Alexander Zverev failed to reach the semifinals of the six tournaments he played after the Australian Open final.
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Alexander Zverev (Image via X/Quindici Zero)
What is the root cause of Alexander Zverev‘s shocking early exits? The 27-year-old has admitted that he has no idea about it after his defeat to Matteo Berrettini in his Monte-Carlo Masters opener.
Zverev arrived in The Principality in his hope of turning things around following mediocre campaigns on the Golden Swing and the Sunshine Double tournament. The three-time Grand Slam finalist could win no more than two matches in almost every tournament he played.
I am not at all satisfied, I am barely winning matches. So far, this is my worst period since my serious injury. What was decisive is that I played the first set very well, but once I lost my serve in the second set, I started playing ten times worse. My ball is very slow, I can’t move anything. I stopped hitting the ball, and this has been the same story for the past few months.
Alexander Zverev said at the press conference
Zverev has failed to progress beyond the quarterfinals stage of the tournaments he played after the Australian Open where he lost the title to World No.1 Jannik Sinner. After losing his career’s seventh match against Berrettini, Zverev, who was chasing this season’s first title in Monte-Carlo, registered a 6-5 win-loss record since the Australian Open.
Nothing changes, always the same. Again, it was me who lost the match. I think my current level is unacceptable.
Alexander Zverev added
With this win, Berrettini advanced to the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters for the second time. Before knocking out the World No.2, Berrettini went past Argentina’s Mariano Navone to kick-start his campaign in Monaco.
Matteo Berrettini reveals when Alexander Zverev lost the momentum
Alexander Zverev started the match in an emphatic fashion, restricting Matteo Berrettini to just two games. Zverev was very aggressive during the first set, but according to Berrettini, Zverev started to lose his way when he saw the former World No.6 turning more aggressive.
That’s why at first, I was a bit surprised by him. Normally, he was a bit more passive, and then he tried to step into the court. He started very aggressively from the beginning, so I don’t think the level was bad, I just think his way of playing changed a bit. I also think that it happened because of the things that I have done too, which is obviously a mental game.
Matteo Berrettini said at the press conference
The Italian, who has won 17 of his last 18 matches on clay, has now improved his head-to-head record against the German to 3-4. Berrettini, last year, had won clay-court titles- in Marrakech, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel.
These were the overall three titles he won last year and was named the Comeback Player of the Year in the 2024 ATP Awards after returning to tennis following an injury layoff. The 10-time ATP titlist is searching for his first trophy of the season and produced his best when he reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
Matteo Berrettini to lock horns with Jiri Lehecka or Lorenzo Musetti after beating Alexander Zverev
Jiri Lehecka and Lorenzo Musetti will fight it out on Wednesday (April 9) to grab a spot in the third round and schedule a clash with Matteo Berrettini. The Czech ace has never faced the 28-year-old in his career.
Musetti, on the other hand, holds a 1-1 head-to-head record over his compatriot. They met in the 2022 Napoli Tennis Cup final, which the World No.16 won in straight sets. In their last encounter in the semifinal of last year’s Stuttgart Open, Berrettini clinched the win in straight sets.
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