Zverev could snap a seven-year doubles drought in Acapulco.
After a deep run at the Australian Open and with his daughter Mayla courtside, Alexander Zverev is balancing singles momentum with a doubles push alongside Marcelo Melo at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC this week in Acapulco.
Zverev’s Acapulco Push
Corentin can be a tricky opponent, especially if you haven’t played matches in a while, like myself,
Alexander Zverev
In his first competitive action since the Australian Open semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev opened Acapulco with a composed 6-2, 6-4 victory over Corentin Moutet, a match where he imposed his game and limited loose moments to close in straight sets.
According to Infosys ATP Stats, Zverev posted matching 79 per cent marks on first serves in and first-serve points won, numbers that helped him avoid facing a single break point during that victory and underline a crisp serving night in Acapulco.
Zverev is no stranger to hardware on the ATP Tour, described in the notes as a 24-time ATP Tour singles champion who has taken at least one title in nine of the past ten seasons, missing most of 2022 while recovering from a serious ankle injury at Roland Garros.
The win in Acapulco was Zverev’s tournament-leading 15th, moving him to (15-5) at the event and placing him level with Rafael Nadal’s (15-2) haul since the tournament went to hard courts in 2014, a neat piece of event history for the German star.
On the ATP 500 front, Zverev has compiled 117 match wins in the series since it began, a total that trails only Nadal’s 121 victories in that category and highlights Zverev’s consistent success at this level over many seasons.
Family, Form And Focus
Zverev has said his week feels lighter with his daughter Mayla in Acapulco, and he made that point publicly as he sought to blend family time with competitive focus while managing both singles ambitions and a doubles partnership that has found momentum.
He explained, “This year I want to enjoy tennis a bit more,” and later added, “I’m getting older, I know it’s not gonna last forever. I hope it’s still gonna be 10 more years for me, for sure. But it’s about enjoying it as well, and I’m definitely doing it this week.”
That outlook comes after a taxing Australian swing and the high of an epic semi-final appearance, and as the No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings’ singles he still carries serious singles goals even while carving out time on the doubles court with Melo.
Doubles Revival
On the doubles side, Zverev and Marcelo Melo advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-4 win over Nuno Borges and Miguel Reyes-Varela, a result that shows Zverev embracing net play and quick reflex exchanges alongside his experienced partner.
The 28-year-old holds a tour-level doubles ledger of 72-89, and the Zverev-Melo pairing added another notable run after reaching the final at the 2024 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, suggesting the duo can mix experience with tactical nous on faster courts.
Zverev is chasing his first tour-level doubles title since he and brother Mischa won the Mexican ATP 500 in 2019, the younger Zverev’s second tour doubles trophy after a Montpellier win in 2017, which gives this week’s semi a feel of unfinished business as well as novelty.
The other Acapulco semi pits Alexander Erler and Robert Galloway against Vasil Kirkov and Bart Stevens, after Erler and Galloway defeated third seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 7-6(3), 6-4 and qualifiers Kirkov and Stevens routed Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard 6-1, 6-0.
Whether Zverev departs Acapulco with a singles title, a doubles trophy, or simply a lighter, more enjoyable week with family, the tournament will reveal if this blend of form and fun produces another line in his long list of accomplishments.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
