After his final in the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, the German tennis star Alexander Zverev fell into a Formloch, failed early in numerous tournaments such as in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. Before the ATP Masters in Rome, number two in the world spoke openly about the bad results.
“I had the feeling that I had burned out a little mentally,” the Hamburger said on Tuesday in the Italian capital and said: “Tennis is a hard sport, we play a lot, we travel a lot, but we treat our bodies and our mind – and I needed it a bit.”
In Rome, Zverev goes to the tournament as a defending champion, so they have to defend 1000 points in the world rankings. One of the favorites is the 28-year-old, who had to delete the sail at the Madrid in Madrid about a week ago in the round of 16 after he was significantly improved with a tournament victory in Munich, but not.
Zverev will “find tennis for the biggest tournaments”
“In front of Munich, my game level was not that great,” said Zverev: “There are some explanations for that. I think it was the main reason that I didn’t rest after the Australian Open.” In the final of Melbourne, the Olympic champion from 2016 against the Italian Jannik Sinner had drawn the shorter one, who had recently had to break down a doping lock.
Zverev could not use the lack of the world’s first list of world ranking, but he has not yet given up the place in the sun: “I think I can do it. In any case, I have the feeling that journalists like to exaggerate. After these difficult months, it seems as if I seem to be the worst number two in history.”
With a view to Roland Garros (May 25th to June 8th), Zverev is optimistic despite the recent services. “I know that I didn’t play at my level, but Carlos (Alcaraz, editor’s note) did not, then he won Monte Carlo,” he said: “I won a tournament two weeks ago, I shouldn’t forget that you have to keep an eye on the positive. I will find my tennis for the biggest tournaments.”