Alexander Zverev overcame a mid-match lapse to defeat Mariano Navone 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in his Mutua Madrid Open second-round match on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The victory improved the German’s record to 9-0 in opening matches at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
Zverev, seeded second at the tournament, struggled in the second set but recovered to seal the win in one hour and 43 minutes. He converted four of eight break points earned during the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
The second-set struggles saw Zverev drop serve twice, but he regained his composure to dominate the third set. After the match, Zverev acknowledged the lapse in focus, stating: “First set was almost perfect, and then I lost focus completely.” He added: “Then the second set, it was terrible, but that’s what happens sometimes in the first match of a tournament. Definitely, I could have focused a bit better, but the level was there. The first set and third set was great tennis, and I just have to focus on that.”
Zverev’s victory maintained his perfect start to the 2026 season in matches where he wins the first set, improving his record to 19-0 in such scenarios. The win also positioned him third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin behind Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Looking ahead, Zverev is set to face Terence Atmane in the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open for a place in the round of 16.
The victory marked Zverev’s continued strong form heading into the Madrid Masters, having reached the semi-finals in five of the six tournaments he played prior to the event in 2026.
As Zverev chases his third Madrid title, his performance against Navone highlighted both his resilience and the areas needing improvement as he progresses through the tournament.
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