“Imagine you then winning that competition for two weeks and then losing to one person, and people going that’s a failure,” – Andy Roddick said this about Alexander Zverev after his defeat at the 2025 Australian Open final. Since that defeat in Melbourne, the German has lost six of his last 12 matches, with the recent one coming in the R32 of the Monte Carlo Masters. Just last year, Zverev was one of the most consistent players. Apart from winning two ATP Masters 1000 titles, he reached the finals of the French Open. Moreover, his impressive run helped him secure the world No. 2 spot in November 2024. What does American tennis legend Andy Roddick have to say about this two opposite sides of the pole?
Well, just a few weeks ago, Roddick stated that he feels Jannik Sinner’s absence from the Tour has added an extra bit of pressure to Alexander Zverev. Is the German too desperate to clinch the top spot from the Italian? “I don’t know that Alex Zverev would feel pressure to perform while Sinner is out. From what I see, his recent form is more about trying to be aggressive on the forehand side because maybe there are question marks about him going all the way. I don’t envy his position because it’s now win a Slam or bust. It’s almost as if people aren’t concerned about all his semi-finals,” Roddick had said back in March.
Zverev has reached the Grand Slam final thrice in his career, but the 27-year-old has yet to win one major title. Roddick further added, “He had two big weeks in Australia, made the final, and people are still only talking about the fact that he hasn’t won a Slam. For me, that’s tough, and I relate to it, but I don’t know that he’s too concerned about Sinner.” Six weeks after that AO final, following his loss at the Indian Wells to the Dutchman, Tallon Griekspoor, Zverev admitted that he is playing “terribly” at the moment.
In the recent episode of the ‘Served’ podcast, Roddick yet again shared his thoughts on Zverev’s tough times. He said, “Yeah, it is tough. And I can kind of relate to what Sasha’s going through a little bit. He has accomplished so much in the game, but at this point in his career, it’s kind of slam or bust, right? I got to a point later in my career where I’d win Atlanta or I’d win something that would be a dream for me if you ask the 10-year-old version of myself. But then you make a final in Wimbledon, you lose. It’s heartbreaking and people are going…you’re feeling decent.“
The 2003 US Open champion further added, “You were better than 126 professionals of the best professional tennis players on earth. But then all people want to know is, why didn’t you do it? Why can’t you do it? And so I feel like there is a little bit of scar tissue from that buildup. Listen, Sasha Zverev simply has been one of the best players on planet Earth for the better part of eight or nine years. There have just been players who have played better in finals.”
That’s Roddick’s analysis of Zverev, but what does the German have to say about his performance after his recent early exit from Monte Carlo?
Alexander Zverev left clueless after his shocking exit from the Monte Carlo Masters
Alexander Zverev is 14-7 with zero titles this season. Although he reached the SF in Monte Carlo twice (2018, 2022), this time he went down to Matteo Berrettini (ITA) by 6-2,3-6,5-7 in this epic R32 clash.
What did Zverev say about his performance after losing to Berrettini? During the post-match press conference, he stated, “I thought my level was terrible, but that’s just my opinion. I have no idea what’s happening to me right now. I have been trying to understand it for several months, but I don’t even know what to say anymore.“
Before this, Zverev had suffered disappointing QF exits on clay earlier this year in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. He was in disbelief at his performance in this match and was also heard saying, “I have not won many matches. So it’s been the worst period since my injury last few months.”
Alexander Zverev will be next seen in action at the ATP 500 event on his home soil in Munich next week. Do you think the world number 2 can make a strong back there?