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Trouble on clay for the Olympic champion!
Alexander Zverev’s clay court season continues to unravel, with the latest setback coming at the ATP tournament in Hamburg. The 28-year-old German star was eliminated early once again, this time falling to Frenchman Alexandre Muller (26) in a tough three-set battle that ended in a tie-break.
Zverev’s third-round exit at Rothenbaum wasn’t just another loss—it came under difficult personal circumstances. After the match, the Hamburg native revealed he had been battling a serious illness. “Considering I threw up 37 times during the night, I think it went pretty okay,” he said, giving reporters a surprisingly candid look into his physical condition.
So far this clay season, Zverev has only managed to win one title, in Munich. While a respectable achievement, he failed to reach the semifinals in any other tournament. In his last outing in Rome, he was knocked out by Italian player Lorenzo Musetti.
Many of his recent losses have come in close matches, often going down to the wire in the third set. Zverev sees this as a positive sign. “I was two points away from winning the match,” he noted. “That actually says a lot about my form.”
However, based on his recent performances, Zverev is not currently viewed as a strong contender for the upcoming French Open, which kicks off on May 25 in Paris. The prestigious Grand Slam continues to elude him—he has reached the final three times, most recently at the Australian Open in January, where he lost decisively to world number one Jannik Sinner (24).
With only a few days remaining before Roland Garros, Zverev must use the time wisely to fully recover and prepare. An early exit in Paris could significantly impact his ATP ranking. The tournament draw is set to take place today at 2 PM local time.
Meanwhile, the French Open qualifiers are already underway. Three German players are still in the running, hoping to secure a spot in the main draw.
