BMW Open: Alexander Zverev happy to keep the faith

MUNICH - The reception that greeted Alexander Zverev in Munich on Saturday was nothing short of rapturous. Hundreds of fans crammed into the seats, walkways and even the grassy hills surrounding the practice court to catch a first glimpse of the top seed at the BMW Open by Bitpanda.

After practice was done, Zverev looked relaxed, signing countless tennis balls and posing for selfies.

“Really nice,” he smiled when asked about his first impressions of the venue this week. The historic event in Munich is undergoing a transformation following its upgrade to ATP 500 status. A new temporary Center Court has been erected for the next few years, as a new permanent version with retractable roof is completed.

“I think that the Center Court is now very, very beautiful,” Zverev said on Saturday. “I think the court with the retractable roof will make a huge difference for the tournament and for the future of the tournament. But it's great to see that Munich is constantly developing, the facilities and the tournament itself.”

Zverev, who won the BMW Open twice in 2017 and 2018, has fond memories of Munich. The return to his home soil is the perfect opportunity to stop his recent dip in form. Since his defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final, he has only won six matches, and will be displaced by Carlos Alcaraz as world No. 2 on Monday.

"Of course I haven't played particularly well. I lost to a lot of guys that I should have beaten," he admitted.

"I still believe I can play well on the big stage. I mean, I played in the Australian Open final three months ago. That said, I haven't forgotten how to do it. But yes, the last few weeks have been a bit more difficult, but I'm still very confident that I will play well now and hopefully in the next few weeks."

Zverev is not the only player struggling for consistency in 2025. His nearest rival, Alcaraz, as well as Novak Djokovic, are among the opponents who have also suffered shock defeats since Melbourne.

"Alcaraz is now in the final of Monte Carlo. That's a step forward for him. At the beginning of the year, you know who your competitors are. We've lost a lot since Australia, all of us. And yes, I think Carlos is out of his phase now, I think," Zverev said.

"I think I will get out of my phase soon too. I feel like I'm starting to play better and better. I think I need to win one or two close matches. And I still have faith in myself. I still have faith in myself that I will start playing really good tennis by the time Paris comes around and that Paris will still be the main focus."

Getting an early start on clay was one of the motivations behind his decision to play the Golden Swing in Latin America straight after the Australian Open.

But with hindsight, Zverev admits not taking a break after the final was a mistake.

I haven't played particularly well. I lost to a lot of guys that I should have beaten. I still believe I can play well on the big stage. ... I'm still very confident that I will play well now and hopefully in the next few weeks. Alexander Zverev

“I have said very often that tennis is like any other sport and business. I didn't make the decision to play in South America after the Australian Open; I made that decision six or seven months before, and it wasn't the smartest decision to play in South America a week after the Australian Open on a different surface. That's clear to me,” he reflected.

“You should learn from your mistakes, I guess, but I can't say now that the South American tour was bad or that I didn't enjoy it or anything like that. The organization is great there. It was also nice to play tennis in those countries."

“But I think I'm being honest when I say that I'd rather have the problem of playing in the Australian Open final than losing in the first or second round there and then having all the time in the world,” he added.