Tennis star Alexander Zverev has been sidelined with pneumonia, an illness that forced him to withdraw from the China Open shortly after his contribution to Team Europe’s Laver Cup victory in Berlin.
Ranked second in the world, Zverev recently criticized the demanding schedule faced by top players and raised concerns when he exited the Beijing tournament, despite his ambition to surpass Jannik Sinner as the top player.
At the Laver Cup, Zverev experienced a couple of losses but clinched a crucial win against Frances Tiafoe in a nail-biting final set tie-breaker, contributing to Team Europe’s 13-11 triumph over Team World. He then announced his withdrawal and the reason behind it.
“Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with pneumonia, which explains the physical difficulties I’ve had in recent months,” Zverev shared with the German Press Agency. “I have to take care of my health first so that I can compete again as soon as possible.”
“I am very disappointed to have to withdraw from the China Open. I will miss my Chinese fans in Beijing and hope to be able to play in front of them again soon.”
Zverev risks losing his world No. 2 ranking to Carlos Alcaraz, the current Wimbledon and French Open champion, who could advance in Beijing. However, Zverev has chosen to focus on his recovery, having openly challenged the grueling tennis tour schedule.
He has expressed his exasperation over the grueling tennis schedule at a recent press conference, strongly debating with a reporter. Zverev, who is keen to be fit for the Shanghai Masters on October 2 and subsequent tournaments in Vienna, Paris, and possibly the Davis Cup and ATP Finals, emphatically ruled out any player boycott, despite acknowledging the need for a solution.
“I do feel like we need to do something about it,” asserted Zverev, who serves on the player council. “I mean, I’m on the player council, so I do think the ATP is working towards that. It’s not an easy solution but it’s definitely a solution that needs to be made.”
Challenged on whether there had been dialogue among players to instigate change, Zverev responded bluntly, “No, the ATP doesn’t care about our opinion. It’s a money business.”
Stressed about a potential collective action given the frustrations aired by stars such as Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, Zverev countered the notion: “And then what? Boycott? We’re not allowed to boycott. We get fined if we don’t play tournaments. So what do you think we should do? I’m asking you. Like, what do you think we should do? “.
He continued to challenge the journalist questioning him: “You’re just saying things that we have no control over. It’s not us who decides. We don’t want mandatory tournaments. This interests me now because this is always the question that journalists ask. They want us to find a solution but you guys don’t have a solution either.”
