Top four seeds toppled as Kecmanovic upsets Zverev in Acapulco thriller
Miomir Kecmanovic edged out Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) on Thursday night. He’ll face Frenchman Terence Atmane in the next round
Alexander Zverev, 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
In a night of remarkable attrition at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Serbian underdog Miomir Kecmanovic delivered the knockout blow to a devastated top half of the draw, eliminating world number four Alexander Zverev just hours after the second and third seeds had also fallen.
The 33rd edition of the Acapulco tournament has been thrown into complete disarray. On Thursday night, Miomir Kecmanovic won his first-ever career victory over a Top 5 player. The Serbian, currently ranked No. 84, edged out the top-seeded Alexander Zverev with a grueling 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(4) victory that lasted nearly three hours.
The match began in disastrous fashion for Zverev, who appeared sluggish and disconnected in his first competitive appearance since his heartbreaking five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open semifinals last month.
The German found himself trailing 1-5 within the opening thirty minutes, dropping his serve twice as Kecmanovic dictated play from the baseline. Although Zverev managed to claw back one break, the deficit was too steep, and the Serb closed out the first set with clinical efficiency.
Zverev too weak on the return
While Zverev found his rhythm to take the second set in a tiebreak, the third set turned into a high-stakes staring contest. At 4-4 in the final tiebreak, both men were just three points away from the quarterfinals.
However, Zverev’s inability to capitalize on Kecmanovic’s second serve proved fatal. Throughout the match, Zverev was unusually toothless on the return, allowing Kecmanovic to win a staggering 63% of his second-serve points.
“Last Saturday I was like, what is this? Why am I playing like this?” a beaming Kecmanovic told Mexican media after the match. “I think every player has hated the game at least once in a lifetime, but now you feel like you’re in the sky.”
The loss continues a bizarre and frustrating “Acapulco Curse” for Zverev. Despite being the top seed for three consecutive years, his results have been underwhelming at best and embarrassing at worst. In 2024, he suffered a shock first-round exit to Daniel Altmaier. In 2025, a bout of food poisoning contributed to a second-round departure.
This latest loss to Kecmanovic ensures that, once again, the German will leave Mexico without the “Guaje de Plata” trophy he last lifted in 2021.
Ruud, Zverev, De Minaur out!
Zverev’s exit was the final piece of a catastrophic 48-hour period for tournament organizers. The second seed and two-time defending champion, Alex de Minaur, was stunned earlier by American qualifier Patrick Kypson in three sets. Shortly after, the third seed Casper Ruud was ousted by Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing in two tiebreak sets.
The departure of fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Thursday morning solidified an unprecedented shift in the Acapulco draw, as the Spaniard fell 6-3, 6-3 to Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci. The main seed still in the race is Flavio Cobolli from Italia.
Kecmanovic, who previously defeated Tristan Schoolkate in the opening round, now faces Frenchman Terence Atmane. With the draw wide open and the heavyweights on the sidelines, the “sky” is the limit for the Serbian in what has become a wide-open race for the title.
Acapulco round of 16
M. Kecmanovic – A. Zverev (1) : 6-3, 3-6, 7-6[4]
T. Atmane – R. Jodar (WC) : 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Y. Wu (Q) – S. Shimabukuro (Q) : 6-3, 7-6[4]
F. Cobolli (5) – D. Svrcina : 6-4, 6-4
F. Tiafoe (8) – A. Kovacevic : 6-4, 3-6, 7-6[7]
M. Bellucci – A. Davidovich Fokina (4) : 6-3, 6-3
V. Vacherot (6) – G. Monfils (WC) : 6-3, 6-3
B. Nakashima – P. Kypson (Q) : 6-4, 6-4
