The decision was made spontaneously," explains Zverev about his participation in Hamburg

Eliminated in the quarterfinals in Rome, Alexander Zverev decided to compete in the ATP 500 in Hamburg, one week before the start of Roland-Garros.

The German, who will drop to No. 3 in the ATP rankings, is the top seed in the tournament and will begin on Monday against Aleksandar Kovacevic. Although he expressed frustration months ago about the tournament's scheduling change, Zverev explained his reasons for participating to the media:

"The decision was made spontaneously. After Rome, I stayed home for a few days to rest. My team had several discussions with the tournament, and yesterday (Saturday), the decision was made: I’m playing Hamburg.

It’s my hometown, where I started playing on the tour and received my first wild card. It’s a very special place for me, where I feel a lot of positive energy. Right now, that’s exactly what I need."

The 2023 champion and 2024 finalist was asked about the proximity to Roland-Garros, which begins on Sunday:

"If I reach the final here, those are the emotions I want to take with me. Two days to prepare for Paris after that is enough.