After a strong start at Ziwei, he revisited his Australian Open defeat: I lost to Alcaraz because I was too exhausted, he took advantage of my physical condition.

In the opening round of the 2026 ATP 500 Acapulco men's singles, top seed Zverev quickly overcame French player Moutet 6-2, 6-4 in 73 minutes, extending his flawless 3-0 head-to-head record and moving strongly into the last 32. His next opponent will be Serbia’s Kecmanovic.

Zverev barely allowed his opponent any opportunities throughout the match. In the first set, the German secured an impressive 83% first-serve win rate, breaking Moutet twice in the third and seventh games to take the set 6-2 easily. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Zverev capitalizing on a double fault from Moutet in the fifth game to secure his third break, closing out the match 6-4. He served 8 aces, maintained an 82% first-serve win rate, and did not concede a single break point.

Although the match was won comfortably, the post-match press conference focused on the Australian Open semifinal from last month. At that event, Zverev lost in a five-set battle to eventual champion Alcaraz, missing out on the final. Weeks later, reflecting on that defeat, the German still felt disappointed and attributed the loss mainly to physical fatigue.

“I felt I played well in Australia. I lost because, honestly, I was exhausted at the end. I was completely drained,” Zverev admitted. “I remember the first point of that game, I should have hit my forehand or backhand earlier, but to do that, you need to move, and I just couldn’t get there in time. That might be why I lost.”

More notably, Zverev then pointed to the “physical rest periods” that Alcaraz had during the match. He added, “In two of the sets, Carlos had some short breaks to recover physically because he couldn’t move around much at those times.”

These remarks immediately sparked widespread discussion. Although Zverev did not directly accuse his opponent, the phrase “couldn’t move much” clearly referred to Alcaraz’s use of medical timeouts and breaks to manage his fitness during the match. Indeed, Alcaraz requested medical treatment during the five-set thriller, and those brief pauses helped him regain form and eventually come back to win.

Regarding Zverev’s comments, some online commentators noted, “Sascha (Zverev) might be right; Grand Slam intensity is a huge physical test. But complaining about an opponent’s medical timeout after losing to the champion sounds a bit like sour grapes. Every player uses the rules to adjust during matches, and Carlos didn’t break any regulations.”

However, German tennis legend Becker defended his compatriot: “As a German, I understand Sascha’s frustration. He played at a very high level in Australia, but his physical limits caused him to be a step slow on crucial points, which is fatal in fast-paced tennis. He wants to do better next time, and there’s nothing wrong with that honesty.”

These statements quickly ignited social media. Fans supporting Zverev said, “Sascha is telling the truth; he matched Alcaraz at the baseline but clearly couldn’t move his legs later on. That medical timeout by Alcaraz really changed the momentum.”

However, many others criticized him. One user joked, “Why bring up the Australian Open after winning a match? Last time it was about urine breaks, now it’s about physical rest. Sascha should focus more on playing smarter during key points.” Another said, “Many have lost to Alcaraz, but few explain themselves every time like him. Everyone gets tired in men’s tennis. Carlos runs hard every match and never complains about his opponent resting.”

Putting the controversy aside, back on the Acapulco court, as the top seed, Zverev is undoubtedly the favorite to win the title. Looking ahead to his next match against Kecmanovic, past encounters show Zverev holds a clear psychological edge. Acapulco is the perfect stage for him to chase his first title of the season — will he succeed? Let’s wait and see!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)