Alexander Zverev’s remarkable 2026 season hit a speed bump on Saturday in Shanghai, as the German fell to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, in the semifinals. Not to worry – and nothing to see here, said Zverev. Just a big of fatigue.
Actually, a lot.
The 29-year-old, who leads the ATP with 62 wins and two Grand Slam titles this season, admitted that the wear and tear of running hot since the start of the spring had finally caught up with him.
“I’m not a robot, I’m a human being,” Zverev said. “I get tired.”
“After the US Open, I had one day off in total,” he added. “I think I played a lot of tennis, which is very, very positive because that means I played well.”
Zverev said he had been feeling flat since his match against Alexander Bublik, and struggled with his reactions and returning against Davidovich Fokina.
“I think the return is the most difficult shot when you’re a bit fatigued because the first thing that gets tired in tennis I think is your eyes,” the 29-year-old said. “I knew that the serve was going there, I was with it on the racquet most of the time, but I was missing it, I was not returning inside the court.”
Next up? A pit stop at home.
“I’m going to go home, I’m not going to practice,” he said, confirming plans to rest for ten days before his scheduled return in Vienna.
The good news? The 2026 Roland Garros and US Open champion’s troublesome ankle that has plagued him since his second round win over Wu Yibing in Shanghai is apparently fine.
Even better, Zverev will become the ATP’s 30th World No. 1 when Monday’s rankings are released, and has already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking.
After a grueling 10-month odyssey that has brought him two major titles, it’s a deal Zverev surely would have taken in January.
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