"Carlos Alcaraz is on a different level to me at the moment" - Alexander Zverev after Madrid Open defeat
Alexander Zverev recently shared his thoughts on his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid Open.
On Tuesday, in a rematch of the 2022 Madrid Open final, Zverev faced Alcaraz in for a place in the quarterfinals. Despite a clinical performance against Hugo Grenier in the previous round, Zverev was unable to repeat his heroics against the former World No. 1.
In similar scenes to last year's final, Carlos Alcaraz dismantled the German 6-1, 6-2 to continue his title defense in Madrid. The Spaniard converted four of his 10 break points without giving away a single break point opportunity on his own serve.
Following his defeat, Alexander Zverev took to social media to reflect on his exit from the Masters event. He acknowledged that his return to the ATP tour after a six-month-long injury layoff in 2022 has been challenging.
The German also recognized Carlos Alcaraz's exceptional talent, stating that the 19-year-old is currently playing on a "different level" than him. He congratulated Alcaraz on his win and expressed his desire to play against him in a more competitive match soon.
"It's gonna be a process with ups and downs. @carlitosalcarazz is one of the best players in the world and is on a different level to me at the moment. Well done @carlitosalcarazz and hope to see you soon during a more competitive match again," Zverev posted on his Instagram story.
Alexander Zverev's fourth-round exit from the Madrid Masters will result in him losing 510 ranking points in the next update of the ATP rankings on Monday, May 8. He is expected to drop down to World No. 22, marking the first time in six years that he will be out of the top 20.
“I will say this is my best level" - Carlos Alcaraz after beating Alexander Zverev at Madrid Open
Carlos Alcaraz was thrilled to have displayed his "best level" against Alexander Zverev during their Madrid Open clash. The Spaniard expressed his desire to showcase a similar level of play in his quarter-final encounter against Karen Khachanov on Wednesday, May 3.
“I will try to play this level. I will say this is my best level. I have to show that in the quarter-final, but obviously playing this match gives me a lot of confidence… Let’s see what happens," Alcaraz said in his post-match interview.
With the win, the Spaniard has inched closer to leveling his head-to-head record against Alexander Zverev. It currently stands at 3-2 in favor of the German.