“The worst court I’ve ever played on”: exhausted Alexander Zverev hits back at the Foro Italico after Rome upset
Beaten by Darderi in Rome, Alexander Zverev blamed inconsistent bounces on “the worst court I’ve ever played on” — and said the early exit might be “a blessing” to recharge before Roland-Garros.
Alexander Zverev, Rome 2026 | © Inside / Panoramic
Alexander Zverev described the BNP Paribas Arena, the second court at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, as “the worst court I’ve ever played on” after his 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0 loss to Luciano Darderi on Tuesday, in which the world No. 3 saved zero of his own four match points and lost the third set without winning a game.
“I think this is the worst court I’ve ever played on,” Zverev said to the media in a short interview after the match. “Juniors, professional, futures, practice. I never played on a court where the court quality is that bad. I have match point and the ball jumps over my head. I have break point, the ball rolls.”
The match was played on BNP Paribas Arena, the second show court at the Foro Italico. With a capacity of around 5,500, the venue is roughly half the size of Campo Centrale, but its sunken, pit-like design – the seating banked steeply around the playing surface – gives it an intimacy and intensity that the main stadium cannot quite match. Players regularly describe it as the court where the crowd feels closest, and on Tuesday afternoon, with Darderi pushing back against Zverev set by set, that closeness was decisive.
Zverev, a two-time Rome champion, who has won at the Foro Italico in 2017 and 2024, did not separate the surface complaint from his own assessment of how the match was lost. He returned, twice in two answers, to the same conclusion. “I should have won the match in two sets. That’s just the story from there. Of course, the third set went for him. He played amazing tennis. I should have won the match in two sets.”
Asked whether the wind had been a factor – conditions at the Foro Italico have been heavy throughout the week – Zverev was brief. “It was difficult to play.”
I did get tired. Whether it’s a sickness, or I just played a lot of tennis, that’s one of the reasons
He also acknowledged he had not been fully recovered from the post-Madrid illness he had referenced before the tournament. “I did get tired. Whether it’s a sickness, or I just played a lot of tennis, that’s one of the reasons.”
The German did not, however, take aim at the Italian crowd. Asked whether the fans had been fair, he was generous. “I have no problem with the Italian fans. I enjoyed them. They’re energetic. They’re passionate about their own players, which is completely fine. They were fair.”
Roland-Garros begins in twelve days, and Zverev framed the early exit as something he could use. “Maybe this is a bit of a blessing in a bad moment for me. I can rest and recharge and be 100% ready for the French Open. I can take a couple of days off. I have almost two weeks now till my next match. I hope I can use that time.”
Asked what belief he could take to Paris, given that no one has beaten Jannik Sinner this year and Carlos Alcaraz is sidelined by his wrist injury, Zverev was direct. “I do have to believe that I’m capable of beating him. Otherwise, we can just give him the trophy without playing the tournament.” Tuesday’s match was Zverev’s first loss to a player other than Alcaraz or Sinner at a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam this season.
