Watch: Moment of awkwardness as Alexander Zverev gets pooed on by bird at Australian Open 2023
Alexander Zverev found himself in an embarrassing situation during his second-round match at the 2023 Australian Open on Thursday. Playing against American Michael Mmoh, a bird dumped its load on the German star's head during the second set.
Playing his first Grand Slam tournament since the 2022 French Open, Zverev was far from his best and despite winning the first set, he lost the match 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in three hours and 26 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena. This is the first time since the 2019 Wimbledon Championships that the 2020 Olympic gold medalist has failed to reach the third round of a Major.
As the German No. 13 prepared to serve at 2-2, 0-15 in the second set, he felt something over his head and immediately realized what it was. He was amused and walked towards his bench to clean a bird's poo from his head. The spectators couldn't help but laugh as soon as they found out what was going on. A smiling Zverev apologized to his opponent for causing a slight delay.
🤣
A perfect shot from the Australian Open bird 💩🤣
Alexander Zverev will be hoping he gets some good luck after that 🍀
#AusOpen | @AlexZverev https://t.co/Bi1TDcfz1q
The 25-year-old was seeded 12th in the main draw and beat World No. 103 Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-4 in his first-round clash on Tuesday. During the Roland Garros semifinal against Rafael Nadal last year, Alexander Zverev had torn all three of the lateral ligaments in his right ankle.
He later picked up another bone injury which led to his prolonged ouster from the action. He returned to the court at the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition tournament in December.
World No. 107 Mmoh, on the other hand, was a lucky loser who replaced Belgium's David Goffin in the main draw and reached the second round by defeating Frenchman Laurent Lokoli in five sets in the opener. The 25-year-old American will take on compatriot J.J. Wolf in his first-ever third-round appearance at a Grand Slam event on Saturday.
Still a long way to get to top level, says Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev was out for nearly seven months due to a gruesome ankle injury suffered at the 2022 French Open. The German has often stated that it will take time for him to get back to his best. In a press conference after his second-round exit, he dubbed his outing at the 2023 Australian Open as a "good test." He also admitted to not being as fast as he was before his injury.
"I didn't have any expectations. I didn't have any goals, and it was a good test for me," Zverev said. "I played a five-setter, and I know where I am physically. I guess I still have a long way back to where I was. My foot is healthy, but I'm not at the physical level that I was. I'm not as fast. Definitely my conditioning is not as good as it was."