Professional men's tennis tour. - Tennis player Zverev pulls out of Stuttgart tournament.
Alexander Zverev, Germany's top tennis player, has dropped out of the Stuttgart tournament this week as anticipated. The organizers disclosed this information two days following Zverev's lost French Open final against Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz.
Explaining his decision, Zverev, who is ranked fourth in the world, claimed, "I've played a lot of tennis in the recent weeks and made it to the final in Paris, where I played five tough sets. I feel that my body is not prepared to transition from clay to grass right now."
Scheduled for the top spot at the Weissenhof, Zverev was set to start in the quarterfinals on Thursday. But after his defeat to Alcaraz in the Paris final, it became clear on Sunday that Zverev would not participate in the event in Baden-Württemberg's capital. "The chances of me playing in Stuttgart are as likely as me leaving and winning the final," he had remarked earlier.
In the previous year, the German ace called off his Stuttgart participation at the last moment, having injured his thigh during the Roland Garros semis.
"Certainly Relatable"
The organizers are disappointed by Zverev's withdrawal. They consider it "certainly relatable" according to tournament director Edwin Weindorfer. "We put in a tremendous amount of effort in the last two days to encourage him to follow through with his initial plans of playing on Thursday," he said. The director added, "We believe that we'll welcome Alexander Zverev back at the Stuttgart court in line with our long-term agreement next year."
In the upcoming week, Zverev will commence his preparations for the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament (July 1-14) in Westphalia. The organizers reaffirmed his arrival on Tuesday. In Stuttgart, veteran French player Richard Gasquet will take Zverev's spot in the main draw.
Read also:
- Despite dropping out of the Stuttgart tournament due to his body's exhaustion, Alexander Zverev remains ranked fourth in the ATP Tour.
- Zverev, a German tennis player, was set to compete in the ATP 250 grass-court tournament in Stuttgart, but his absence was confirmed on Sunday.
- At the French Open, Zverev reached the final and played five grueling sets against Carlos Alcaraz, which might have contributed to his decision to withdraw from the Stuttgart tournament.
- During the French Open final, Zverev lost to Alcaraz, which potentially affected his preparation for the upcoming ATP tournaments on grass, including the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament in London.
- In the 2021 French Open, Zverev also pulled out at the last minute, having sustained an injury during the semifinals.
- The French Open, known as the Roland Garros, is one of the prestigious lawn tournaments on the ATP Tour, held annually in Paris.
- Following Zverev's withdrawal, veteran French player Richard Gasquet secured a spot in the Stuttgart tournament main draw, replacing the German ace.
