Zverev’s Madrid Open Journey Ends in Quarterfinals Against Cerundolo

Madrid, Spain — Alexander Zverev‘s hopes of reclaiming the top spot in men’s tennis took a hit on Tuesday when he lost to Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in the Madrid Open quarterfinals. Cerundolo defeated Zverev in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, marking his third victory against the German player in their head-to-head matchups.

The defeat follows a challenging three-month stretch for Zverev, during which he struggled to perform consistently. After advancing to the finals of the Australian Open in January, where he lost to Jannik Sinner, Zverev had hoped to capitalize on Sinner’s three-month suspension for doping violations. Instead, Zverev’s journey included multiple early exits, failing to reach the semifinals in subsequent tournaments.

After the Australian Open, Zverev accumulated only 50 ranking points since Sinner’s suspension, bringing his total to 8,185. His best performance during this period was winning the ATP 500 event in Munich, where he claimed the title as the hometown favorite.

During the match against Cerundolo, Zverev’s frustration became evident as he struggled with unforced errors on his groundstrokes. Midway through the second set, he smashed his racket in frustration, prompting an emotional reaction from the crowd. “I don’t know what’s happening to me,” Zverev said after a previous loss in Monte Carlo. “I have been trying to understand it for several months.”

With this loss, Zverev’s path to the top spot seems increasingly difficult, especially with Sinner set to return from suspension soon. Sinner, the current World No. 1, will compete next in Rome, where he will defend 1,000 points as the reigning champion.

The results from Madrid ensure that Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will be the top two seeds in the upcoming French Open, barring any significant performance change from Zverev.