Following a disappointing performance post the 2025 Australian Open, Alexander Zverev, the world’s second-ranked tennis player, has been grappling with a string of losses. Despite his commendable performance at Melbourne Park earlier this year, Zverev fell short of his maiden Grand Slam title, a defeat that, by all accounts, left him deeply wounded.
Zverev entered the finals against the world number 1, an eminent player who had also swept the previous edition at the Australian Open, as an underdog. However, the German star would never have anticipated a straight-set defeat void of a single break point opportunity throughout the match. This unanticipated loss seems to have sparked a spiral of self-doubt, casting a shadow over Zverev’s chances of overcoming his Grand Slam hurdle.
The aftermath of this defeat has been a string of underwhelming performances, starting with the South American tournaments where Zverev was ousted prematurely. His performance remained lackluster at the season’s first Masters 1000 – the ‘BNP Paribas Open’ at Indian Wells – where he was eliminated in the second round by Tallon Griekspoor.
Moreover, failing to repeat his quarterfinal feat from the 2024 tournament in California, Zverev dropped 200 points. This puts him in a precarious position with Carlos Alcaraz, who could significantly close the gap in the ATP ranking if he emerges victorious on Sunday.
In a candid conversation with Tennis Channel, alongside his brother Mischa, Zverev opened up about his strategy to cope with the external pressure. He confessed that his smartphone is practically off-limits during major tournaments.
“If you lose a match in which you were favored and people had bet on you, the web risks becoming the worst possible place,” Zverev admitted. He continued, “During the most prestigious tournaments – the Slams – my smartphone is almost always turned off. No one can contact me or get to me.”
Explaining his rationale, Zverev said, “The most important people in my life are all together, I don’t need anyone else. The more you read things about yourself around, the more you start to doubt yourself and it’s not the best way to succeed in professional sport.” This approach seems to be his way of mitigating the detrimental effects of negative publicity and maintaining his focus on the game.