Alexander Zverev offers honest reaction after opening grass-court win over Moutet in Stuttgart

With Roland Garros in the rearview, top players on the ATP Tour are shifting their focus to the grass-court season as they prepare for Wimbledon. Alexander Zverev kicked off his campaign at the BOSS Open in Stuttgart on Thursday with a win over Corentin Moutet.

“The first match on grass is never easy,” Zverev admitted in the post-match press conference after his 6-2, 7-6 victory, according to the ATP Tour official website. The World No. 3 wasn’t entirely satisfied with his performance and didn’t hide it: “I prefer to win 6-2 6-2, but you can never choose these kind of things.”

The straight-sets win over the French World No. 91 doesn’t fully reflect the challenge the match posed for Alexander. After dominating the first set with ease, Moutet raised his level in the second and pushed the German star to the brink, even earning a set point at 5-6.

“I actually think it was a very average match,” said Zverev, who is the top seed and tournament favorite—just as he was Munich this past April, when he won the title. “But I won in the end and that’s the most important thing. I made it complicated, but a win is a win and I’m happy to play tomorrow again.”

Brandon Nakashima will be Zverev’s next rival in Stuttgart.

What’s next for Zverev?

Following his opening win over Corentin Moutet at the Stuttgart Open, Alexander Zverev now faces a tougher test in the quarterfinals. He’ll go up against American Brandon Nakashima, the current World No. 31 and sixth seed in the tournament, who defeated Jacob Fearnley and Learner Tien in earlier rounds.

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How has Zverev performed in Stuttgart?

This marks Alexander Zverev’s fourth appearance at the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart, and his first after a five-year absence. His past performances here have been underwhelming, with early exits across the board.

His debut came in 2014, when he lost in the round of 32 to Lukas Rosol. The following year, he opened with a win over Mate Pavic but fell in the round of 16 to Viktor Troicki in three sets. Zverev returned to Stuttgart in 2019, already a more established player, but still struggled—losing his first match to Dustin Brown in an early exit.

These poor results underscore the challenges Zverev has faced on grass. He has won 24 career titles, but none on this surface. In fact, he’s reached the final of every Grand Slam—Australian Open, Roland Garros, and US Open—except Wimbledon, where he’s never advanced beyond the fourth round. This year, after a disappointing clay season, he’ll be hoping things play out differently.