Alexander Zverev admits he is at a loss with his game after crashing out of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
Zverev, who was the top seed, fell in three sets to former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini who claimed his first-ever win over a player currently ranked in the world’s top two. It is the first time he has lost his opening match at the tournament in nine appearances. The world No.2 was down 3-5 in the deciding set before clawing his way back to draw level. However, he got broken in the following game which enabled his opponent to serve the match out.
“What was decisive is that I played the first set very well, but once I lost my serve in the second set, I started playing 10 times worse. My ball is very slow, I can’t move anything,” Zverev said of his loss to Berrettini.
“I stopped hitting the ball, and this has been the same story for the past few months. Nothing changes, always the same. So it’s me who lost the match, once again.
“I thought my level was terrible, but that’s just my opinion.”
The defeat comes during what has been a mixed season so far for Zverev who has won 14 out of 21 matches played. After reaching the final of the Australian Open, he failed to win back-to-back matches in three out of his next four tournaments. Although he did reach the fourth round in Miami before losing to Arthur Fils.
“I have no idea what’s happening to me right now,” Zverev commented.
“I have been trying to understand it for several months, but I don’t even know what to say anymore.
“I don’t know. All I know is that I’m losing matches, nothing more.”
Elaborating further about his form, Zverev says one of his concerns is his performance when matches go the full distance. Berrettini is the fifth person to have beaten him in three sets since January after Fils in Miami, Tallon Griekspoor in Indian Wells, Francisco Comesana in Rio de Janeiro and Francisco Cerundolo in Buenos Aires. Out of those players, Fils was the only one ranked in the top 20 at the time they played.
“If I were to win two or three matches this way, fighting so hard, there wouldn’t be as many questions,” he admits.
“But I lost in three sets in Buenos Aires, in three sets in Rio, in three sets in Indian Wells, in three sets in Miami, and in three sets here. I haven’t won a single one, and that’s what matters.”
Zverev hopes to get back on track in time for the next two Masters events with one of those being Rome where he is the defending champion. As a result of his latest defeat, Jannik Sinner will still be world No.1 when he returns to action in May following a three-month suspension for an anti-doping violation.
