Alexander Zverev has made a big decision ahead of the French Open that goes against some of his previous comments.
Zverev is the current world number three, despite not winning a single ATP title in the past 12 months.
The German continues to seek an elusive Grand Slam title, with Zverev losing in three major finals already in his career.
Zverev has previously suggested the French Open is his best chance of that, but he has now made a decision that could hamper his chances at this year’s tournament.
Alexander Zverev signs up for tournament he previously claimed ‘no top player’ would
Zverev has already played two clay court tournaments this year, having reached the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters and the BMW Open in Munich.
The 29-year-old is scheduled to play three more tournaments before the French Open, with Zverev currently at the Madrid Open, before competing in Rome and then Hamburg.
While it is completely normal for Zverev to play in Madrid and Rome, his decision to enter the Hamburg Open is a questionable one.
Zverev has reached the semifinals of every tournament since Indian Wells, meaning that he has now set himself up to potentially play tournaments in 11 of 12 weeks ahead of the French Open.
This appears to be a counterproductive decision from Zverev, who should be trying to prepare himself to be in the best way possible for the French Open.
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Zverev has shown that he is aware of this risk, as just last year he made comments about the Hamburg Open after the tournament was moved to the week before the French Open.
“I just don’t know who had the idea to schedule Hamburg, an ATP 500 tournament, one day before the French Open. How stupid can that be?” Zverev said at the time.
“I don’t know who had that idea. No top player or someone who wants to win the French Open can play the final in Hamburg on Saturday and then play the first round of the French Open on Monday.”
Zverev then took a wildcard for the Hamburg Open last year, in a decision that did not pay off after he lost in the second round, before suffering a quarterfinal defeat at the French Open, and it appears he has not learnt from this mistake.
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Zverev’s decision to enter the Hamburg Open feels even more of a bizarre one this year given the current situation in men’s tennis.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the two dominant forces in men’s tennis right now, but a slight opening in their control of the Grand Slams now appears to be forming ahead of the French Open.
Alcaraz is currently out with a wrist injury, and there are a lot of questions about whether he will even be fully fit for the French Open this year.
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There is also a lot of uncertainty around Novak Djokovic, who is dealing with a shoulder injury and has not played a match since Indian Wells.
Sinner will still be at the French Open, but having never won the title in Paris before he will face a lot of pressure in his attempt to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Zverev and his team around him should pick up on this and withdraw from the Hamburg Open if he really wants to show himself as a contender for the French Open.
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