Alexander Zverev Reflects on His Missed Chances Against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open

Alexander Zverev to face Corentin Moutet in his opening match at the Mexican Open.

Alexander Zverev Reflects on His Missed Chances Against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

In Short
  • Alexander Zverev returns to the tour at the Mexican Open after a tough semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.
  • He struggled with fatigue during the crucial moments of the match, ultimately losing in a record-breaking five-setter.
  • Zverev aims to bounce back and secure his first title of the season, facing Corentin Moutet in the opening round.

Alexander Zverev will make his return to tour at the Mexican Open in Acapulco this week, nearly a month after his near-miss Australian Open semi-finals clash against Carlos Alcaraz. The 28-year-old is yet to get over the loss, as he had an opportunity to beat the eventual champion and World No. 1.

Zverev was down two sets in the match against Alcaraz at the Australian Open in Melbourne. He had beaten the Spaniard in four sets in 2024 in the quarter-finals, but didn’t make it to the final until the following year. He was seeking to reach his second consecutive championship match at the Grand Slam tournament but was almost out of the event before Alcaraz began to struggle with cramps.

Alcaraz’s physical struggles prevented him from being at his best level on the court, which gave Zverev the momentum in the third set, ultimately winning the tiebreak. He fought his way back into the match to force a decisive fifth set, before finding a break of serve to go within a game of advancing to the final.

But he allowed Alcaraz to strike at the most crucial moment of the match, before the Spaniard won the twelfth game to claim a 6-4, 7-6(5), 6(3)-7, 6(4)-7, 7-5 after five hours and 30 minutes, which broke the record for the longest semi-final in the Australian Open history. Alcaraz went on to win the title, beating Novak Djokovic in the final.

However, Zverev is seeking to bounce back from the defeat at the Mexican Open by giving an incredible performance on the court. Ahead of his opening match, he told Tennis TV, that he lost the match to Alcaraz because he got tired when leading 5-4 at the Rod Laver Arena and couldn’t move well in the last three games of the clash:

I lost the match because I got tired in the end, to be very honest. I had nothing left at 5-4. I mean, yeah, there were a few points, especially the first point I remember in the game, where, you know, I should have hit the forehand a bit earlier, I should have hit the backhand a bit earlier, but to do that, you have to move to those balls, and I just couldn’t move there anymore. You know, that was probably the reason why I lost the match.

Zverev is still searching for his first Grand Slam in his career, despite reaching three major tournaments’ finals. He has an Olympic gold medal and two ATP Finals titles. He will be looking forward to another opportunity at the French Open in May, where he reached the final in 2024 before losing to Carlos Alcaraz.

Alexander Zverev to open his campaign at the Mexican Open against Corentin Moutet

Alexander Zverev will have to put the Australian Open loss behind him at the Mexican Open. He won the ATP 500 tournament in 2021 after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, two years after losing to former World No.13 Nick Kyrgios in the championship match in Acapulco. He has a chance to claim his first title of the season.

Alexander Zverev (via X/Jose Morgado)
Alexander Zverev (via X/Jose Morgado)

Zverev will face Corentin Moutet in the opening round of the tournament. Moutet enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, earning top 10 wins over Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz and also defeating former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev. But Zverev holds a good 2-0 lead over the Frenchman in their head-to-head record.

Zverev met Moutet last year in the round of 16 of the Stuttgart Open and the same stage at the China Open. Should the German star win the match, he’s projected to face Miomir Kecmanović in the next round. He also faces a tough battle at the tournament with the likes of Casper Ruud and Alexander Bublik in the same half of his draw.

The 28-year-old didn’t do well at the tournament last year, exiting in his opening match after losing to American Learner Tien. However, during that period, Zverev was in a run of bad form after losing to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Australian Open.

Also Read: Stan Wawrinka Claims Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz Are Playing ‘Better’ Than Previous Generation