Luciano Darderi Responds to Alexander Zverev’s ‘Worst Court’ Complaint After German’s Italian Open Exit

Alexander Zverev went on a tirade against the Italian Open court where he suffered a 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0 defeat at the hands of home favorite Luciano Darderi in the fourth round. Zverev said it was the “worst tennis court” he had ever played on in his life, and that he had not even played on such a court even in practice.

Sascha complained about the unpredictable bounce as well as the windy conditions. After a quick win in the first set, the World No.3 squandered four match points in the second set before he completely dropped his level in the third set. When Darderi, at the press conference, was asked about Zverev’s complaints, he said that although the conditions were difficult, both players had to deal with them.

Yes, it wasn’t easy; it was windy. But we can’t control the wind, right? The wind was for both of us. So, I don’t think it was a problem because the wind is there. We can’t control the pitch; it wasn’t 100% at all times. It isn’t something that you have to get used to. I’ve gotten better used to it so, I think that the pitch is an added thing. It was not that great. There were some rebounds for me, for him. Certainly, this, but I don’t see it as such a serious thing.

Zverev was chasing his third title at the Italian Open, after wins in 2017 and 2024 over Novak Djokovic and Nicolas Jarry. He also made the final in 2018 but lost the title to Rafael Nadal.

Darderi will next be locking horns with rising star Rafael Jodar, who knocked out Learner Tien in the previous round. Jodar will be playing back-to-back Masters 1000 quarterfinals as he reached the last eight of the Madrid Open as well, losing the match to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

Alexander Zverev says he is capable of defeating Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros

Alexander Zverev will next be preparing for the ultimate clay-court tournament, the French Open. He is a one-time runner-up in Paris, losing in 2024 to Carlos Alcaraz. Last year, he suffered defeat in the quarterfinals at the hands of Novak Djokovic.

Yes, maybe this is a kind of blessing in a tough time for me. I can rest, recharge my energies, and be 100% ready for the French Open. I will be able to take a couple of days off. I have almost two weeks until my next match, so yes, I hope to make the most of that time.

Alexander Zverev said at the press conference

The three-time Grand Slam finalist also has confidence in his ability to challenge Sinner at Roland Garros, in spite of the fact that he lost nine consecutive matches against the four-time Major champion and trails 4-10 in the head-to-head meetings. It was Zverev whom Sinner defeated in the Madrid Open final to win the third clay-court title of his career.

I have to believe that I am capable of beating him. I have to believe it; otherwise, we could hand him the trophy without even playing the tournament.

Alexander Zverev added

In Rome, Sinner is bidding to become the second man after Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters. He has reached the quarterfinals and is set to lock horns with Andrey Rublev. The 24-year-old is also chasing his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 of the season and is aiming to become the first man to win six straight titles at this level.

The last time Sinner lost a match was in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, at the hands of Jakub Mensik. And the last time he lost a Masters 1000 match was in the third round of last year’s Shanghai Masters.

Also read: Alexander Zverev Slams Court Conditions in Fiery Presser After Italian Open Exit