Alexander Zverev is back in action this week, stepping into the Mexican Open for his first tournament since a tough loss at the Australian Open semi-finals.
The German fell to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets, coming just short of reaching the final.
After dropping the first two sets, Zverev battled back to force a fifth and even found himself just one game away from closing out the match.
But Alcaraz, dealing with cramps earlier on, dug deep to break back and eventually secure his place in history as the youngest player ever to complete the career Grand Slam.
Now getting ready for Acapulco, Zverev spoke about how he felt about that semi-final match in Australia.
Alexander Zverev opens up on his Australian Open semi-final exit
Speaking to Tennis TV, the German star said: “I felt like Australia, I played the right way.
“I lost the match because I got tired in the end, to be very honest. I had nothing left at 5-4.
“I mean, yeah, there were a few points, especially the first point I remember in the game, where, you know, I should have hit the forehand a bit earlier, I should have hit the backhand a bit earlier, but to do that, you have to move to those balls, and I just couldn’t move there anymore.
“You know, that was probably the reason why I lost the match. And also Carlos, obviously, for two sets had a bit of a break physically, he wasn’t moving as much, whereas I had to really get back into the match.
“But I still feel like Australia, in a way, was a success, even though I didn’t win the tournament.
“It was a success in a way that, you know, I feel like my game was working, and the plan that we had for this year seems to be working. And yeah, I’m happy about that, and we continue doing the work.”
Who Alexander Zverev is facing at the Mexican Open 2026
Following his Australian Open loss, former champion Zverev will now focus on the Mexican Open.
He lost to Nick Kyrgios in the 2019 final, but went on to win the tournament two years later by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021.
In this year’s first round, Zverev will be up against Corentin Moutet, an opponent he has already faced twice before.
The 28-year-old won both of those matches last year. He beat the Frenchman twice in the round of 16, securing victories at both the Stuttgart Open and the China Open.
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