Alexander Zverev will get his third singles campaign of the season underway at the Indian Wells Open; the first ATP Masters 1000 event of 2026.
The German, seeded fourth at the competition, is set to face former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in his opening match.
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After his appearance at the United Cup to kick-start the year, Zverev has only featured at two tournaments: The Australian Open and the Mexican Open.
He reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park before suffering a second-round exit in Acapulco, though he did win the doubles title in the latter alongside 42-year-old veteran Marcelo Melo.
Recently, Zverev revealed he has been trying out a very different style of tennis this year, a decision he has now admitted was spurred on by his desire to win a major.
Alexander recalls the conversation he had with his team after 2025
“At the end of the year, me and my team all sat down together,” said Zverev in an interview with Tennis TV.
“We all say we’ve been top five in the world for ten years now, but we have not achieved the single thing that we want to achieve (a major). That’s the only thing remaining.
Where will Alexander Zverev finish 2026 ranked?
“Maybe it’s not always working, so we’ve tried to change that a little bit, we’ve tried to be more aggressive, take more risks, maybe take some losses like in Acapulco along the way, but play the right way.
“I’m still very satisfied with how I have started the year. I want to continue playing the right way, I want to continue building on a good form, and I am hoping to do that here [Indian Wells] as well.”
Alexander Zverev’s head-to-head record against Matteo Berrettini
Zverev has met his first opponent at Indian Wells, Berrettini, seven times before on the ATP Tour.
The world number four leads the head-to-head 4-3, but he has lost their last two clashes at tour-level competitions.
Their most recent bout came at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2025, where Berrettini came out on top in three sets.
However, in their last completed hard-court meeting at the 2019 Shanghai Masters, Zverev emerged victorious in straight sets.
Four of their seven matches have come on clay, while just two have been played on hard court.
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