Zverev surprises in Monte Carlo and advances to the quarter-finals.

Alexander Zverev fights to find his best level at the Monte Carlo Masters, but advances with resilience and promises to improve

Alexander Zverev is making headlines at the Monte Carlo Masters, but not for his flawless performance – rather for his fighting spirit and ability to improve match after match. The German tennis player secured his place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, but does not hide the fact that he is still far from his best form. In exclusive statements to Tennis Channel, Zverev was direct and honest: “I’m still not playing well here in Monaco, but I’m in the quarter-finals, and that’s what matters right now.”

After an intense three-set battle the previous day, Zverev admitted that his display clearly improved in this round. “Yesterday I didn’t play well at all, but today I managed to play much better. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s match.” And what changed? The forehand, especially at crucial moments in the second set, was key. “On clay, the forehand is probably the most important shot of all. I need rhythm with this shot and time to refine it. The more I play on clay, the better it will get. Today was much better than yesterday, and that makes me happy to be heading in the right direction.”

The German not only has confidence in his shots but also in his strategic ability. In the previous round, he recovered from a difficult position, demonstrating composure and intelligence to turn the match around. “My opponent plays very well from the baseline, but his serve isn’t strong. I knew I would have chances to break his serve. And that’s what happened: he started to struggle physically and made errors when he had to close out the set against a top 3 player in the world.” Zverev capitalized on those mistakes: “He made a double fault and an easy forehand error. I played three almost perfect games to win the match.”

Surprised by the support from the crowd, but realistic about the audience’s preferences

Despite playing practically at home – Monte Carlo is almost a personal stronghold for Zverev – the German admits that he does not feel the same affection from the crowd as other players, notably Jannik Sinner. “I don’t receive as much love as Sinner, but most of the audience is Italian, so that’s normal.” Still, Zverev values the comfort of being in his own city, sleeping in his own bed, and enjoying his apartment. “It’s special.”

The demanding pace of the tournament, with consecutive matches, does not seem to be a problem for Zverev or his generation. “We are used to it. The older players always grew up playing like this, without two-week events, except for Indian Wells and Miami. For us, this is normal.” Furthermore, he appreciates the best-of-three sets format, as it avoids excessive physical strain and allows for maintaining intensity.

The next challenge for Zverev is a quarter-final clash against the young and promising Brazilian João Fonseca, marking a first encounter between the two. The German is excited and aware of his opponent’s talent: “He is a rising young talent that everyone is talking about. I think he is going to be a great player, he will be among us for many years, probably longer than I will, because I am ten years older.”

Zverev’s message is clear: despite the challenges, his ambition is to continue growing, improving, and making his performance on the Monte Carlo clay more solid and competitive. The battle continues, and he promises to fight until the last point.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.