The tennis star originally did not want to play in his hometown, but now he wants to get some positive emotions there.
Tennis star Alexander Zverev wants to recharge his batteries at his home tournament at Hamburg’s Rothenbaum and make it all the way to the final. “If I reach the final here, those are exactly the emotions I want to take with me,” said Zverev, looking ahead to Paris. The ATP tournament in the Hanseatic city is the last chance to prepare before the clay court highlight at Roland Garros: “That leaves two days to prepare – that’s enough.”
Zverev had actually sharply criticized the new date for the tournament (mid-May instead of July) in April. No player who has his ‘eyes on the French Open will play there,’ he predicted on MagentaTV. Now, however, he wants to draw a lot of strength from his visit to his hometown. Hamburg is “a place where I feel positive energy,” said the world number two: “That’s exactly what I need right now.”
Zverev recently lost in the quarterfinals at the Masters in Rome, but he will start as the clear favorite at Rothenbaum. ”I can play tennis here and recharge my batteries a little at the same time. I hope it will be a nice week,” said Zverev. He triumphed in his home country in 2023, but lost to France’s Arthur Fils last year.
Things will get serious for Zverev in Paris on May 25, where he will be aiming for his first Grand Slam title at the French Open.
