After his loss in the Madrid Open final Sunday, Alexander Zverev pointed fingers at the ATP for what went wrong.
Losing 6-3, 6-1 to 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev blamed the timing of the matches on why he did so poorly, per tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg.
“One thing I have to say is that the ATP’s job was an absolute disgrace this week. Two days ago I went to bed at 4, 4:30 a.m. Yesterday I went to bed at 5:20 a.m., Zverev said. “You know, if any normal person goes to bed at 4 a.m., the next night at 5 a.m., it’ll be a tough time just to be awake for them.”
“And for me to play a final against Carlos Alcaraz, who for me is the best player in the world right now, in a Masters 1000 event the next day, it is difficult. Today on court, I’m a little bit — now I’m a little bit angry.”
On Satuday, Zverev’s semifinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas started at 11 p.m. and concluded after 1 a.m. For ATP matches, that kind of timing is not entirely uncommon, but is almost always not preferred by athletes nor fans.
Alexander Zverev said that the timing of his matches hurt his performance at the Madrid Open.AFP via Getty ImagesThe 25-year-old emphasized that his exhaustion caused him to lose control of the ball, and thus the match, when he couldn’t compete at his level.
“I had no coordination on my serve, I had no coordination on my groundstrokes. I missed two overheads that were super easy because I see the ball, and everything is moving in my eyes,” he said.
While he was unsure that he could defeat Alacaraz even at full strength, Zverev was certain that the match would have been more enjoyable and better tennis would have been played if they didn’t have to compete at such late times.
Zverev apologized for the poor quality of play during the final.AFP via Getty Images
Alcaraz defeated Zverev in straight sets. Getty Images“I don’t want to take anything away. He’s a great player. He’s the best in the world right now. But to be honest, I feel sad for the final that we played, because this could have been a very good match, but I had no chance today of being myself. I had absolutely no chance of playing my level,” Zverev said.
Zverev referenced the Mexican Open in February, in which he said he experienced similar timing issues with similar results. The world No. 3 won the tournament in Acapulco in 2021 but was thrown out of the tournament before the Round of 16 for swinging his racket at an umpire’s chair during a doubles match.
“This is not the first time this is happening. … this is happening on a weekly basis, and to be honest, I’m a little tired of it,” Zverev said.
