World No.2 Zverev reflects on mental fatigue post-Australia

Alexander Zverev says he should have taken a break from tennis after his heartbreaking loss in the Australian Open final, admitting he hasn’t been the same player since that straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner in January.

Speaking ahead of the Monte-Carlo Masters this weekend, the world No.2 revealed he never gave himself time to process the loss — his third in a Grand Slam final — and instead pushed through, to his own detriment.

“I did not take a rest after Australia and mentally Australia affected me a lot,” Zverev told media in Monaco.

“I was very upset and very tired and I came back here and went straight away to South America.

“I did not really have time to process what happened, losing in a Grand Slam final.

“I kept going, which was not the smartest thing to do.”

Zverev has failed to go beyond the quarter-finals of any tournament since Melbourne and has fallen to five players ranked outside the top 15 — a slump he hopes to break during the clay-court swing.

The 27-year-old is the No.1 seed in Monte-Carlo this week and third-favorite to lift the trophy, according to top tennis betting sites. But Zverev says his focus isn’t on the title — it’s on just building confidence again.

“Winning matches is the main part in order to build confidence and get into the right mindset,” he said.

“I definitely need to win some matches and to play good tennis. It can change quite quickly.”

Zverev felt he was improving in Miami last month before a neck issue derailed his campaign.

“In Miami I felt I was playing better than I was before and then I woke up with a bad neck just during that day — which was a bit unlucky for me — so I was a bit restricted.”

Zverev believes that even one solid win could spark a turnaround, using the example of Jakub Mensik’s Miami title run as evidence of how quickly momentum can swing.

“In the quarter-finals I would have played [Jakub] Mensik,” he said.

“He obviously won the tournament, but maybe if I got my confidence back, I am the favorite in all of those matches to play.

“It can happen quickly and I hope it will happen within the next few weeks.”

Based in Monte-Carlo, Zverev says the comfort of home could also be key to hitting reset after a mentally draining few months.

“You’re still a bit more relaxed, a bit more refreshed,” he said.

“Sleeping in your own bed, having home-cooked meals is quite nice.

“My whole family is here. Familiarity helps and is something very, very nice.”

Zverev is priced at +1100 to win the Monte-Carlo Masters at Neds, behind Carlos Alcaraz (+175) and Novak Djokovic (+550) with Nags.bet.

Despite his slow start to 2025, tennis sportsbooks still have faith in his clay credentials, with Dabble returning +750 for the German to claim his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in May.

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