Despite reaching the final in Stuttgart last week and currently holding the World No. 3 ranking in both the ATP standings and the Race, Alexander Zverev feels his strong 2025 season is being undervalued.
Zverev, back in action at Halle, responded to critics with his signature irony. He pointed to his Tour-leading 32 match wins this year (second only to Carlos Alcaraz) as proof of his consistency.
While openly acknowledging that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are setting the standard for dominance, especially in major matches, Zverev firmly believes he is the clear next-best player. “Jannik and Carlos are deservedly ahead of me, but I’m still the best player when we exclude them,” he stated.
However, Zverev recognizes the lingering doubts about his ability to defeat top-10 rivals in Grand Slams. His immediate goal is clear: close the gap to Sinner and Alcaraz. The grass-court season, culminating at Wimbledon, marks the start of this mission, with a potential clash against World No. 1 Sinner in Halle on the horizon.
Zverev expressed frustration with the narrative surrounding his season: “I know everyone is incredibly surprised that I’m winning matches… Despite [being No. 3], some people still call my 2025 season very bad.” He concluded, “Now I have to make sure to close the gap until I can catch them.”
He begins his Halle campaign against Marcos Giron, seeking a rebound from his straight-sets loss to Taylor Fritz in the Stuttgart final, which extended his winless streak against the American.
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