Zverev at Australian Open: Enough Match Practice?

Alexander Zverev will probably have had less match practice at the United Cup than hoped.

A lot is possible in sport, sometimes miracles even happen. And so it is of course possible that Poland with Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz will not win a single set against the Netherlands team tomorrow in Sydney. But if that is not the case, then Poland will move into the quarter-finals of the 2026 United Cup. And not Germany, which then has to say goodbye after two games.

And then of course the question arises: Is that enough for Alexander Zverev to feel well prepared for the Australian Open? Zverev said that he needed a few games to get going. Now it has become a couple: an ultimately safe win against Tallon Griekspoor, which was followed by a frustrating defeat against Hubert Hurkacz. Frustrating especially because Hurkacz hasn’t been able to play on the ATP tour since June. And then the meeting with Zverev dominated with his service, as is usually the case with the German number one.

Sinner and Alcaraz go to Melbourne without a tournament match

Now Alexander Zverev will probably not fly to Auckland or start in Adelaide at short notice, match practice or not. And the routine that the soon-to-be 29-year-old brings with him after more than a dozen years in the professional circuit naturally leaves Zverev among the extended favorites for the first major of the year.

Especially since Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the two big favorites, have decided not to take part in a tournament, as they have in the past. The two will compete in an exhibition match on the way to Melbourne. And trust that they will get into shape in the early rounds of the Australian Open that will be worthy of a title.

Which also applies to Novak Djokovic, who assessed himself as not physically ready to start in Adelaide. Alexander Zverev is still really well served with his presumably only two matches in Sydney.

Don’t miss any news!

Enable notifications:

Zverev Alexander