Alexander Zverev blames gruesome illness for upset defeat on eve of French Open
Alexander Zverev suffered a shock second-round defeat at the Hamburg Open on home soil, and he has now revealed that he was severely ill before the match
Alexander Zverev's stint at the Hamburg Open ended abruptly as he was ousted in the second round, despite being the world No. 3 and playing on his home turf. After accepting a last-minute wildcard, Zverev's hopes were dashed by Alexandre Muller.
Zverev rallied to force a final set after losing the initial one and even recovered from a break down in the decider, but ultimately fell short with a scoreline of 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5). Post-match, Zverev revealed that he had been battling illness, stating he "threw up 37 times" before stepping onto the court.
The German star had entered the tournament seeking additional clay-court play before the French Open, yet his plans were thwarted by the 40th-ranked Muller in a surprising upset. He's suffered a few defeats recently - most notably at the Miami Open and at the Monte Carlo Masters.
- NASCAR on FOX announcer Mike Joy makes surprise career move with son involved
- ESPN continues drastic changes as 20-year vet departs after contract dispute
Despite the defeat after a grueling two hours and 40 minutes and a closely contested final set tiebreak, Zverev confessed he wasn't in top condition for the match.
"For the fact that I threw up 37 times and had a fever of 39.4 degrees all night, that's actually quite okay," Zverev commented on his effort. I think there are two players in the whole world who would have taken to the court today. I'm one of them. And I'm really proud of that.
"I was two points away from winning the match. There's a lot to be said in my favour. I think I played a solid and good match. But he realised at some point that I wasn't feeling well and then went on playing the points for as long as possible. That was clever on his part. Zverev said.
His focus now shifts to recovery and the French Open, where he remains determined to make an impact. "I'll get healthy first and then see. But nothing will change for me for Paris. I still want to show good tennis there and win a lot of matches."
Despite recent setbacks, Zverev believes he's made progress with his tennis, highlighting his performances in Rome and at the current tournament. "I showed good tennis in Rome, and here too."
Zverev is taking a broader approach to his preparation, focusing on the bigger picture rather than specific details. "I'm just trying to prepare as good as possible. There are no very specific things at the moment, it's more about the big picture."
DON'T MISS
With the French Open starting on Sunday, Zverev faces a tight deadline to recover. He reached the final last year, ultimately losing to Carlos Alcaraz, and had a stronger lead-up in 2024, winning the Italian Open.
However, this season has been a different story for Zverev. Since losing the Australian Open final in January, he has struggled to find consistency, with his only notable success coming at the ATP 500 in Munich, which he won.
His Latin American swing was disappointing, and he suffered early exits at the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Monte Carlo. Zverev also fell to Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round of the Madrid Open and to Lorenzo Musetti in the Rome quarter-final.
Following his departure from the Italian Open, he chose to join the Hamburg draw as a wildcard. Zverev had previously decided against participating in his home tournament after it was rescheduled from its usual July slot to the week preceding the French Open.
