Zverev feels unfairly treated: “Worst number two”?

Tennis pro Alexander Zverev believes the public criticism of his slump in form following the Australian Open is exaggerated. Suddenly, he was something like "the worst number two in history," the 28-year-old said before the start of the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, where he competes this week as defending champion. It was portrayed as if he didn't deserve to be there. But the rankings don't lie.

Zverev lost in the final of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year in Melbourne at the end of January to Italian Jannik Sinner, who is making his comeback in Rome after a doping ban. Afterward, the top German player fell into a slump. He had "two bad months" and wasn't playing good tennis, Zverev explained. He felt "a bit burned out" and needed a rest after the many matches and travel stresses. Now he's back on the right track, the Hamburg native continued.

In mid-April, Zverev won the ATP tournament in Munich, but at the Masters in Madrid, he again fell early in the round of 16. Other stars, such as Serbian Novak Djokovic and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, also played inconsistently in Sinner's absence and failed to dislodge the 23-year-old from the top of the world rankings. However, Zverev, who has a bye in the first round of the tournament in Rome, asserted that he still believes he can become number one.

RND/dpa