In a dramatic twist at the 2025 Hamburg Open, world No. 2 Alexander Zverev suffered a stunning second-round defeat to Alexandre Muller, a world No. 40 player, in a grueling 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) battle that lasted two hours and 42 minutes. The loss, which came just days before the French Open, was overshadowed by Zverev’s shocking revelation of the physical ordeal he endured to compete. “For the fact that I threw up 37 times and had a fever of 39.4 degrees all night, that’s actually quite okay,” he said, his voice tinged with both exhaustion and pride. “I think there are two players in the whole world who would have taken to the court today. I’m one of them. And I’m really proud of that.” Zverev’s resilience, despite illness, underscored his warrior spirit, even as the defeat raised concerns about his Roland Garros preparation.
Zverev, a Hamburg native and the tournament’s top seed, entered the event seeking to recapture the “positive emotions” of his 2023 title win and shake off a lackluster clay season. After a solid 6-1, 7-6(5) first-round victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic, expectations were high. However, Muller, who had never beaten a top-five player, played a masterful match, exploiting windy conditions and Zverev’s compromised state. “I think I played a solid and good match. But he realized at some point that I wasn’t feeling well and then went on playing the points for as long as possible. That was clever on his part,” Zverev acknowledged, giving credit to Muller’s tactical nous. The Frenchman’s underarm serve, though unpopular with the crowd, proved decisive. “I saw the crowd didn’t like it, but I thought it was a great shot to do at that moment,” Muller said, noting its effectiveness against Zverev’s deep positioning.
The match was a rollercoaster. Muller dominated the first set in just 34 minutes, capitalizing on Zverev’s 48 unforced errors, particularly on the backhand. Zverev battled back in the second, breaking twice to level the score, but the third set saw both players trade breaks before a tense tiebreak. Trailing 3-5, Muller won the final three points, sealing a career-defining victory and a quarterfinal berth against Felix Auger-Aliassime. “It wasn’t easy, today the conditions were really tough, so windy,” Muller said, elated by his triumph. Zverev, just two points from victory, reflected, “I was two points away from winning the match. There’s a lot to be said in my favor.”
Zverev’s decision to play, driven by the tournament’s significance in his hometown, came at a cost. “If it had been another tournament in a city in another country, then I certainly wouldn’t have played,” he admitted. His 2025 season has been inconsistent, with early exits in Madrid, Rome, and now Hamburg, despite a French Open final run in 2024 and an Olympic gold in 2020. Defending 1300 ranking points at Roland Garros, the pressure is immense for the three-time Grand Slam finalist, who is still chasing his first major title. Yet, he remains optimistic, viewing the loss as a chance to recover. “Maybe it’s actually a good thing that I now have a few days to control the strain a little,” he said, adding, “I’ll get healthy first and then see. But nothing will change for me for Paris. I still want to show good tennis there and win a lot of matches.”
Zverev’s grit echoes his career-long tenacity, from upsetting Roger Federer as a teenager to reaching No. 2 in the world. Off-court challenges, including past domestic abuse allegations, have tested his resolve, but his focus remains on the court. As he prepares for Roland Garros, starting May 25, Zverev’s Hamburg performance—marred by illness but marked by courage—highlights his unyielding spirit. Whether he can channel that resilience into a maiden Grand Slam triumph remains the question gripping the tennis world.
Alexander Zverev, world No. 2, suffered a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) loss to Alexandre Muller in the Hamburg Open second round on May 21, 2025, revealing he “threw up 37 times and had a fever of 39.4 degrees all night.” “I think there are two players in the whole world who would have taken to the court today. I’m one of them,” he said, adding, “I was two points away from winning.”
The top seed, seeking “positive emotions” after a 2023 Hamburg title, started with a 6-1, 7-6(5) win over Aleksandar Kovacevic. Muller, world No. 40, exploited Zverev’s 48 unforced errors and windy conditions, using a tactical underarm serve. “I saw the crowd didn’t like it, but I thought it was a great shot,” Muller said. “I think I played a solid and good match. But he realized at some point that I wasn’t feeling well and then went on playing the points for as long as possible,” Zverev noted.
Muller’s first top-five win earned a quarterfinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime. “It wasn’t easy, today the conditions were really tough,” Muller said. Zverev, a 2024 French Open finalist, sees recovery time as a positive. “Maybe it’s actually a good thing that I now have a few days,” he said. “I’ll get healthy first and then see. But nothing will change for me for Paris.” With Roland Garros looming, Zverev’s grit, despite illness, keeps his Grand Slam hopes alive.
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