Brutally honest Zverev says this is “worst period since my injury”
The German has “no idea” why his form has taken a sudden downturn this year
Imago/Psnewz
When Jannik Sinner was banned from playing tennis for three months, Alexander Zverev had a clear opportunity to overtake the Italian as world No 1 for the first time in his career.
Instead, the German has gone 6-6 since Melbourne, losing in the Buenos Aires and Rio quarter-finals, the round-of-16 in Acapulco and Miami, and now first round in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, with his most recent loss coming at the hands of Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday.
It’s safe to say the 27-year-old is not happy with how things have gone.
“It’s been the worst period since my injury, [the] last few months,” Zverev said following his 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 loss to Berrettini at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
There was a clear bite to Zverev’s words as he unpacked his loss, which confirms he will not pass Sinner in the ATP rankings by the time the Italian rejoins the Tour in May.
“Come on. I think it’s fairly obvious how satisfied I am, no? I mean, I won not many matches,” he said.
“I played a great first set, and once I got broken in the second set I play 10 levels down. My ball is much slower. I stop hitting the ball. The same story the last few months. Nothing changes. So it’s me who lost the match, once again.
“I thought my level was terrible, but that’s just my opinion.”
Deciding sets an issue for Zverev
Notably, five of Zverev’s six losses this year have come in deciding sets, a trend that he simply doesn’t have an answer for right now.
“It’s a matter that I’m losing. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
“You win one or two matches like this, there are no more questions, you know, for me in my mind and for all of you guys.
“But I lost three sets in Buenos Aires, I lost three sets in Rio, I lost three sets in Indian Wells, I lost three sets in Miami, I lost three sets here, and I didn’t win a single one. So that’s the matter.
“I have no idea (what’s wrong) right now. I have been trying to figure it out for months now. I don’t know anymore.”
With 1,200 points to defend between now and Roland-Garros in late May, the next six weeks are now no longer about chasing Sinner; they’re about holding off the rest of the pack.
If Zverev wants to hold on to a top-two seeding at the year’s next Grand Slam, he will need to address whatever is behind his drop in form promptly.
