Alexander Zverev has been admonished following his post-match comments after his Italian Open defeat to Lorenzo Musetti.
Following his runners-up finish at the Australian Open, many felt Zverev would kick on and take the world No 1 opportunity that was presented to him following Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban.
However, the German has endured a nightmare run as he failed to make it past the quarter-finals of three tournaments in South America and fared even worse during the Sunshine Double at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open.
He appeared to return to form when he won the BMW Open in Munich, but failed to shine at the three ATP Masters 1000 clay-court events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
His failure to defend his Italian Open title will result in a drop to No 3 in the ATP Rankings ahead of the French Open.
Instead of praising Musetti after the Italian’s two-set win, Zverev said: “I think he plays similar when he plays on clay all the time. He depends a lot on defence. He depends a lot on the mistakes from other opponents.
“Today was difficult for me to hit winners. It was very slow, very, very heavy. The balls were getting very big. Even though I had my chances, I was up three set points, four set points in the first set on my serve. Usually I should win that set and then we’ll see.”
Punto de Break journalist José Morón was critical of Zverev’s behaviour not just in Italy, but the past 18 months.
“I need to get this out on Zverev,” the Spaniard wrote on X.
“I think he lost his way a long time ago. He’s spent the last year and a half blaming the world for his mistakes.
“He lost the Roland Garros final due to a bounce that, he claimed, hit the line, but the umpire dismissed it. He didn’t win on the Latin American tour because of the crowd, the heat, and the food. Now in Rome, the balls and the conditions were the same as the day before, when he shone against Fils
Zverev was also unimpressed by the balls that are being used at the ATP Masters tournament at Foro Italico.
“Balls were a joke today. Generally speaking this is a subject we’ve had over the last three, four years now. Players are talking about it all the time,” the three-time Grand Slam runner-up said.
Morón believes Zverev is “deceiving himself”
“He complains about Roma’s balls, which can’t be moved, and says Musetti plays waiting for his opponent’s mistake. The Italian saved EVERY set from 40-0 by going for the point himself, attacking and looking for the winner,” the journalist continued.
“He is deceiving himself.
“I imagine it’s easier to blame the world than yourself. Without self-criticism, it’s difficult to progress in any field.”
French journalist Benoit Maylin also hit out at the German’s “abysmal” conduct the past fortnight.
“Since the beginning in Rome, Zverev’s bad faith has been abysmal!” he wrote on X. “Here is an excerpt from his interview where he brings out the eternal refrain of heavy balls, and that Musetti plays defensively and depends a lot on the other’s faults.
Magic.
“There, he is indeed number 1, but mythomania.”
Even renowned coach Rick Macci – who mentored legends Serena Williams and Venus Williams when they made their breakthrough in tennis – had something to say about Zverev following his complaints after his Rome exit.
“Zverev was complaining about the balls too fuzzy and too soft. Always remember one thing. It is what it is. Your opponent hits the same ball. Greatness does not make excuses they excuse opponents,” he wrote.
