Zverev Opens Up Ahead of the Monte-Carlo Masters: "I Was Mentally Affected After the Final in Melbourne"
Present in Monte-Carlo, where he will be the tournament's top seed, Alexander Zverev took the time to open up about his recent struggles during a press conference.
The world No. 2 explained the reasons behind his disappointing results since the Australian Open final:
"I didn't take any rest after the Australian Open. I was mentally affected after the final in Melbourne. I was angry, tired, and I went straight into the South American tour without taking the time to process what had happened.
I just kept going, which might not have been the smartest thing to do. But tennis is also a business. We have contracts with tournaments signed months in advance, we have obligations. It was my decision.
I enjoyed my time in South America, especially in Rio, even though I lost a tough match there. But it doesn’t affect me anymore."
Zverev also shared his predictions for this clay-court season:
"I don’t think the competition is as wide open as people say. On this surface, you could name a few competitive players last year. Carlos Alcaraz leading the way, me, and a few others.
I don’t think we can judge based on what’s happened in recent weeks. The last few months have been very strange. Jannik [Sinner] can’t play, I’ve been playing horribly, and Carlos hasn’t been at his best either. We’ll see how it goes, but I think things will return to normal."
Monte-Carlo 
