Last year, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz split the Grand Slam titles between themselves, but other than those two, if any player had caught the eyes of the tennis world, then it’s surely Alexander Zverev. He won 69 matches in 2024, the second-highest figure after Sinner, and also claimed Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Paris. Not only that, he also ended the year ranked number 2 and finished above Alcaraz despite winning fewer titles than the Spaniard. Previously, while sharing his experience of playing against Alcaraz, he said, “It’s been a very high level with a lot of entertainment to watch and it’s just fun to be on the pitch with him.” But he hailed Sinner as “the best player in the world.” However, despite having a fierce rivalry with these two, Zverev recently named another player who has troubled him the most in recent times. Who’s he?
Well, he’s none other than the 26-year-old Argentine, Francisco Cerundolo! He may be currently ranked 18th in the world, but when it comes to playing against the world number 2, Cerundolo has a record of 3-0. Before facing Alexander Zverev in the R16 of the 2025 Madrid Open, the Argentine was heard saying, “I hope to replicate last year’s victory.” Result? Cerundolo defeated Zverev by 7-5,6-3. Fresh off his ATP 500 title triumph in Munich, Zverev was a clear favorite in this match, but eventually, his seven-match winning streak came to an end with this defeat.
After this match, Zverev said, “He (Cerundolo) played better than me today. He definitely played better than me last year when we played here. In Argentina, it was a little bit of a funny match. But to be honest, I didn’t play terrible, he just played better than me.” Then, recently, before starting his campaign at the Italian Open, the German was yet again asked to review his performance in Madrid. While answering that in the press conference, Zverev said, “I hate playing him, to be honest. I think outside of the top guys, like Jannik and Carlos, he’s probably the most difficult for me to play. Haven’t really figured out how to play him. Haven’t really figured out a way to beat him which shows on the record.“
However, having said that, he also mentioned, “I thought I played three pretty good matches there. Also winning Munich the week before… I feel like my tennis is at the right spot right now.” In November 2024, Alexander Zverev spoke about how funny the matchups can be at times.
While bringing Alcaraz and Sinner into the discussion, he said, “For him (Alcaraz), I think some of the most comfortable opponents are Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz. For me, it’s completely the opposite. He really doesn’t like playing some of the big hitters like Jannik Sinner. He’s a great player, No. 1 in the world, for sure, but I still enjoy playing him.” Zverev has a 4-3 record against Sinner and 6-5 against Alcaraz, but interestingly, just like Cerundolo, even America’s Taylor Fritz has also troubled the German in the past (5-7). With the Italian Open knocking at the door, fans can surely expect some of these matchups in this mega clay-court event. What did Alexander Zverev have to say before starting his title defense campaign in Rome?
“Feel Confident” – Alexander Zverev shares his thoughts before his opening match at the Italian Open
Last year, Alexander Zverev defeated Chile’s Nicolas Jarry by 6-4,7-5 to win the Italian Open title. This year, he will be starting his campaign against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG). These two have never faced each other before on the Tour. How optimistic is Zverev about his chances at this event this year?
“I feel confident here. I really like the place, so I hope I can play as well as last year and win a lot of matches,” said Zverev. Interestingly, despite being the defending champion here, this year it seems Jannik Sinner has taken away all the limelight from him with his comeback to the Tour after serving a three-month suspension due to the doping incident.
How does Zverev feel about this limelight getting shifted away from him in Rome? “It’s a good thing because I’m somebody, I like to be under the radar. I don’t need to be front and center of attention all the time…The last few months the attention was obviously on me because I was the No. 1 seed everywhere I played and it was important to perform in a way so it kind of helps when that goes towards Jannik a little bit now.” As the draw stands, both Sinner and Zverev have been placed on the opposite halves of the draw. So, they can only face each other in the final of the 2025 Italian Open.
What does Alexander Zverev think about his ongoing quest to topple Sinner and become the world number one, though? “World No. 1? It would be nice, I have not been there. I believe I will, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m there [No. 2] because I won tournaments. I’m there because I have results. The ranking system doesn’t lie. You get points for winning matches, you get points for winning titles.” Although Zverev had a good chance to surpass Sinner during his absence from the Tour, a string of early exits before his heroics in Munich slightly derailed his mission. Do you think the German can come back strongly yet again and throw up a major challenge for the top spot to Sinner in the upcoming months?
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