Alexander Zverev keeps hope alive at the BMW Open after losing to “a lot of guys” this season
Alexander Zverev has won only six matches since losing the Australian Open final against World No.1 Jannik Sinner.
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Alexander Zverev (Image via X/ATP Tour)
Alexander Zverev is the star of the BMW Open, but he is not in his best form of the season. The German is participating in his home country’s tournament and was greeted with a resounding joy at his arrival. The two-time winner of the ATP 500 tournament is hoping to find his best form after a poor start to the season.
Zverev began the season on a high at the Australian Open, where he reached the final. He eventually lost to Jannik Sinner in his third attempt at trying to win his maiden Grand Slam title. Despite the critique from legends of the sport, there was still optimism that he would bounce back stronger.
However, he has not done so. In fact, he has won six matches since then and has failed to reach the semi-finals of any tournament. This week, he dropped to No.3 in the ATP rankings after Carlos Alcaraz won the Monte Carlo Masters and overtook him. He last featured at the Monte Carlo, where he lost to Matteo Berrettini in the second round.
The 27-year-old held his first press conference at the BMW Open where he was asked about his poor form. He revealed that despite his losses, he hopes that he will get back to winning ways and play better on the coming weeks.
Of course, I didn’t play very well. I lost to a lot of guys that I should have beaten. I still believe that I can play well at a high level. I only played in the final of the Australian Open three months ago, I haven’t forgotten how to do that. But yeah, the last few weeks have been a little bit tougher, but I’m very confident that I’m going to play well now and hopefully in the next few weeks.
Alexander Zverev said via BMW Open press
Zverev will open his campaign against Alexandre Muller at the tournament. The German has met the Frenchman only once in his career and holds a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head record.
Alexander Zverev regrets playing in the South American clay swing after the Australian Open
After losing the Australian Open title, Alexander Zverev featured at the South American clay swing for the first time in his career. The German star’s lack of experience in the tournament was exposed as he was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Argentina Open and Rio Open. His performance was below par and he lost to players below the top 20. During the aforementioned press conference, he revealed that it was a mistake to compete at the events.
I decided to play in South America not after the Australian Open, but six to seven months ago. It was not the smartest decision to play there a week after the Australian Open on a different surface. I understand that. You have to learn from your mistakes, but I can’t say that the South American tournaments were bad or that I didn’t like it. The organization there is great, it was nice to play tennis in these countries.
Alexander Zverev said
Transitioning from hard court to clay has always been an issue among players. But during the tournament, humid weather conditions also played a strong part in Zverev’s struggle. He won just three matches in the South American swing.
Alexander Zverev has to win the BMW Open to keep his hopes of returning back to No.2
Alexander Zverev will be hoping to win the BMW Open title as a way of kick-starting his season. He won the tournament twice in 2017 and 2018 but has struggled since then at the event. He will need a crucial victory to get back to World No.2 as Carlos Alcaraz only has a 125-point lead above him.
But Alcaraz also has a chance of winning the Barcelona Open, which could extend his gap over Zverev. The Spaniard showed why he’s the favorite to win the French Open in May when he triumphed at the Monte Carlo, coming from behind to beat World No.11 Lorenzo Musetti in the thrilling final.
Zverev will now have to ensure he gets back to form in time before the Italian Open, where he has to defend 1000 points as the defending champion. He only has the BMW Open and Madrid Open to do that. Also, the return of Jannik Sinner in Rome, means he has to be at his absolute best to win the tournament.
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