World No.2 Alexander Zverev makes something clear after early Madrid Open elimination

Alexander Zverev’s momentum came to a halt in the Madrid Open round of 16, where he fell to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. The German, fresh off his ATP 500 title win in Munich, couldn’t replicate the same dominant form in Spain. However, the World No.2 didn’t shy away from addressing his latest defeat.

This loss snapped Zverev’s seven-match winning streak, yet it came under different circumstances than his earlier exits this season in Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo. This time, the German star believes his performance wasn’t the issue.

“In the end of the day, I don’t think I played terrible. The match before Munich when I was losing, I was losing because of me. I was losing because I was playing bad and I was missing and I was maybe not brave enough,” Zverev said post-match. “I cannot really say that today”.

“Maybe I played one bad game at 6-5 in the first set, but this is one game per match, this can happen,” he continued. “But all in all, I feel like my game is improving and I feel like there is not too much wrong with my game. I just feel like that today my opponent was better than me and this can happen in sport”.

Alexander Zverev of Germany shakes hands with Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina following the match of the Madrid Open. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Zverev on his rivalry with Cerundolo

Zverev has yet to find an answer for Cerundolo, who holds a perfect 3-0 record against him. Earlier this year, Cerundolo defeated the German at the Buenos Aires Open in a three-set battle. Reflecting on their matches, Zverev acknowledged the Argentinian’s level of play.

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“He played better than me today. He definitely played better than me last year when we played here. In Argentina, it was a little bit of a funny match. But to be honest, I didn’t play terrible, he just played better than me,” Zverev admitted.

Zverev’s ranking remains secure

Despite the early exit, Zverev will retain his No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings. The only player capable of overtaking him, Carlos Alcaraz, withdrew from the Madrid Open due to adductor injuries sustained during the Barcelona Open.

Looking ahead, Zverev faces a crucial challenge defending his title at the Rome Open, a task necessary to maintain his ranking heading into the next Grand Slam on the calendar—Roland Garros.