The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, a prestigious ATP Masters 1000 event, witnessed its first major upset with the early elimination of Alexander Zverev. The German player entered the tournament as the highest-ranked participant, due to the absence of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who is serving a suspension. However, things did not go as expected, and Zverev was knocked out in his opening match.
“I’m just playing terribly,” he admitted at the press conference following his 6-4, 6-7, 6-7 loss to Tallon Griekspoor, a statement shared on the ATP Tour’s official website. “It’s as simple as that. I’m not playing at the level that I want to play, definitely not playing anywhere near what I played in Australia. I’m just disappointed with my game. That’s the No. 1 thing for me.”
Just a month and a half ago, the German star was competing in the Australian Open final, where he lost in three sets to Sinner. Since then, however, things have not gone well for him. Alexander was eliminated in the quarterfinals of both the Argentina Open and the Rio Open, with those two defeats coming at the hands of Francisco Cerundolo. At the Mexico Open, he was knocked out in the round of 16 by Learner Tien.
“At the end of the day, I’m just not playing good tennis at the moment,” Zverev explained. “It’s just practice. I practice a lot. I played the Australian Open final and I started practicing less… I keep working, but right now, it’s not clicking. I have to find a way to make that happen.”
Alexander Zverev, ATP World No. 2.
Zverev’s priority right now
Entering the BNP Paribas Open, Alexander Zverev faced a golden opportunity to earn critical points and inch closer to the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings. With Jannik Sinner suspended, the German was in prime position to seize the top ranking for the first time in his career.
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Asked if that goal was on his mind heading into his Indian Wells debut, Zverev was candid. “It was in the beginning,” he confessed. “Now it’s less… For me, I have to find my game before thinking about that, because to become World No. 1, you have to win tournaments. I’m not getting past the first or second round at the moment. So I need to figure that out first.”
What’s next for Zverev?
Following his elimination at Indian Wells, Alexander Zverev’s next focus will be the Miami Open, another ATP Masters 1000 event. However, that tournament is still a bit further down the road, starting on March 18. This gives the German tennis player more than a week to clear his mind and concentrate on his training in an effort to regain his form.
The good news for Zverev is that his position as world No. 2 is secure for the time being. He will retain that ranking even if Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 3, wins the BNP Paribas Open.
