Berrettini's Message to Zverev: "It's Never Easy to Stay Clear-Headed After a Painful Defeat"

Another disappointment for Alexander Zverev. The German world No. 2 continued his rough patch following his loss in the Australian Open final against Jannik Sinner.

This time, Zverev was eliminated in his opening match at the Monte-Carlo Masters against Matteo Berrettini (2-6, 6-3, 7-5) and didn’t hold back in his press conference, stating that his current level was unacceptable and that he had lost the match entirely on his own, with no improvement in months.

A few minutes later, Berrettini also faced the media and responded to Zverev’s comments, which were relayed to him by journalists.

"It’s never easy to stay clear-headed after a painful defeat, but I have to say that in the first set, he was playing at a very high level and was very aggressive.

When he saw me gaining momentum and growing more confident in my shots, he started losing a bit of control. I was a little surprised by him.

Usually, in the early games, he’s passive and then increases his intensity. Instead, he started off very aggressively.

I don’t think his level was bad—I just think he changed his approach a bit. If I managed to turn the match around, it was thanks to me and the mental strength I showed on the court," he told *Tennis World Italia*.