Alexander Zverev was in the 2024 Stuttgart Open draw when it came out, but the German has now withdrawn from the ATP 250 event.
Zverev’s inclusion in the Stuttgart Open draw was surprising, because he was still in the Roland Garros draw, about to play the final, when it came out. Going all the way to the final in Paris and surviving a couple of five-setters along the way made playing in Stuttgart make no sense for him, but he was in the draw and seemingly willing to play on a short turnaround in his home country.
However, he won’t because he officially withdrew from the event ahead of his first match, two days after losing in the Roland Garros final against Carlos Alcaraz.
Playing on short notice after a brutal two weeks in Paris made very little sense for Zverev and could have been potentially dangerous. He would also be changing surfaces, from clay to grass, which is not a smooth transition and generally requires at least a few practices, which the French Open finalist clearly hadn’t time for.
The announcement came via the official X page of the event, with a short quote by Zverev, who admitted that he’s been playing a lot of tennis lately.
“I’ve played a lot of tennis in the last few weeks and reached the final in Paris, where I played five tough sets. I feel that my body is not ready to go from clay to grass now.”
He’ll take this week to slowly recover from the exhausting two weeks and probably also from the mental hangover of losing a Grand Slam final. He’ll likely return to the Halle Open, where he’s generally prepared for Wimbledon in previous years, and it’s also his home tournament, so fans in Germany will again get a chance to see him.