Alexander Zverev still hasn’t found his top clay court game for the French Open. The Olympic champion fails early in Madrid. Another tennis star says goodbye with great emotion
Without a clue, Alexander Zverev searched for the reasons for his next big disappointment. The Olympic tennis champion was still a long way from title form for the French Open in the round of 16 in Madrid and is still waiting for his first singles final of the year.
“It’s disappointing for me because it’s in Madrid. It’s a tournament that I love incredibly much and where I have the feeling that I can always win,” said Zverev with his arms folded on pay TV channel Sky about the 3:6, 4:6 defeat to Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo.
Instead of winning the Masters 1000 tournament on the fast clay in the Spanish capital as he did in 2018 and 2021, the 27-year-old had to retire early, as he did in Monte-Carlo (round of 16) and Munich (quarter-finals). Zverev has never failed in Madrid before in his career
“No chance on the court “
“It’s confusing for me when I have the ball on the racket like I did here and then lose 3:6, 4:6,” he said sobered up. The German number one complained that he had served hard and confidently and “still felt a bit hopeless on the court”: “I haven’t had that for a long time in my tennis career.”
You could see that Zverev was tired, analyzed the former tennis player Andrea Petkovic as a TV expert. “And I don’t mean physically tired. Somehow his powers of observation were missing today.”
Zverev didn’t play with enough variety to put the tactically disciplined Cerundolo under more pressure in their first direct duel. Two breaks for 5:3 (1st set) and 2:1 (2nd set) were enough for the Argentinian to make it through to the round of the best eight after an hour and a half.
Zverev has only won four out of seven clay court matches so far this year. Time is running out before the French Open. The Hamburg-born player must now play his way into title form at the Masters in Rome at the Foro Italico for the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, which begins on May 26 in Paris.
Nadal’s emotional farewell
And Rafael Nadal wants to make a big impression on his farewell tour despite another sporting setback. The 14-time Roland Garros winner spoke with great emotion about his fans in Madrid, where he won the tournament five times, after his 5:7, 4:6 defeat to the Czech Jiri Lehecka. “I was able to say goodbye on the court, one of the most emotional places for me. Madrid was at times more important to me than a Grand Slam. The memories will stay with me forever,” said the 37-year-old.
Jan-Lennard Struff once again left a lasting impression on the spectators in the Spanish capital. As in last year’s final, the 34-year-old from Sauerland missed out on a big surprise against Carlos Alcaraz despite a strong performance and narrowly lost 3:6, 7:6 (7:5), 6:7 (4:7). “I came back in the third set too, of course it’s really bitter,” said Struff.
