On a sun-drenched Easter Sunday in Munich, Alexander Zverev, Germany’s tennis titan, celebrated his 28th birthday with a performance that echoed his finest moments. At the 2025 BMW Open by Bitpanda, now elevated to an ATP 500 event, Zverev clinched his third Munich title, defeating American Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4 in a commanding 71-minute display. This victory not only marked his first title of the season but also etched his name alongside Philipp Kohlschreiber as the only players in the Open Era to win the Bavarian Open three times, joining a rare ATP club of home-soil heroes. “It’s extremely special, I always love winning tournaments in Germany,” Zverev said, his voice brimming with pride. “It’s probably the most special thing I can do. It’s definitely a great birthday present, let’s put it that way.”
Zverev’s path to glory was anything but smooth. The 2025 season had tested his resolve, with a heart-wrenching Australian Open final loss to Jannik Sinner and a 6-6 record entering Munich, marred by early exits in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo. “I don’t think we need to talk about the last few weeks anymore,” he declared post-match, signaling a turning point. In Munich, he found his rhythm, dropping just one set across the tournament. His quarter-final against Tallon Griekspoor was a crucible, with Griekspoor serving for the match before Zverev roared back for a 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 6-4 victory. “I’m extremely happy. Finally, I won a close one,” he said, crediting the 6,000-strong crowd for lifting him. “Without you, I wouldn’t be here today with the trophy; you brought me back on Friday.”
The final against Shelton, the No. 2 seed and World No. 15, showcased Zverev at his peak. Facing a left-hander whose big serve thrived in Munich’s fast, warm conditions, Zverev was relentless, not facing a single break point. “I definitely knew I had to play my best tennis today, Ben has been playing extremely well this week,” he noted. “The conditions suit him extremely well, it’s very hot and very fast. They suit me as well, to be fair.” Zverev broke Shelton early in both sets, capitalizing on the American’s 21 unforced errors compared to his own seven. A backhand volley sealed the match, sparking a birthday serenade from the crowd, led by luminaries like Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller and Bavarian Premier Markus Söder, who handed Zverev the trophy—and a selfie.
This triumph, Zverev’s 24th ATP title and ninth on clay, carried extra weight. The tournament’s upgrade to ATP 500 status made it his most significant Munich crown, earning him €467,485 and a sleek BMW iX M70. His performance—13 winners, a first-serve point win rate of 84%—recalled his 2017 and 2018 Munich victories, when he announced himself as a clay-court force. “I’m just so happy with the title and with the level that I managed to play at,” he told Sky, donning traditional lederhosen for the celebration. The win also propelled him back to World No. 2, overtaking Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard’s Barcelona final loss to Holger Rune.
Zverev’s Munich hat-trick places him in elite company, matching Kohlschreiber’s record and reinforcing his status as Germany’s standard-bearer. His six home-soil titles, including Hamburg and Vienna, underscore a deep connection with German fans. “I always love playing in Germany,” he reiterated, thanking his team for enduring “difficult weeks.” Despite a heckler’s disruption in his quarter-final, referencing past allegations, Zverev stayed focused, a testament to his mental fortitude.
As he heads to the Madrid Open, where he’s won twice, Zverev carries renewed momentum. With the French Open a month away, where he was last year’s runner-up, this birthday triumph signals a resurgence. Social media buzzed with praise, fans calling it a “perfect gift” for the “golden boy.” For Zverev, the Munich title is more than a trophy—it’s a declaration that, at 28, his best days may still lie ahead, ready to challenge Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic on the clay courts of Europe.